CM Punk Addresses WWE Unreal and the Limits of Going Behind the Scenes

CM Punk isn’t completely sold on WWE’s behind-the-scenes reality series Unreal—and he’s not afraid to admit it.

While speaking on Busted Open Radio, Punk revealed he has mixed feelings about the show that takes fans inside the personal and professional lives of WWE Superstars. Punk admitted there are moments the cameras shouldn’t be rolling.

“There’s definitely aspects of things that I don’t want people to see. And so I tell them not to film it,” Punk said. “I’ll walk into a room and be like, ‘Not now.’”

Despite his reservations, Punk praised the show’s ability to add depth to certain WWE talent—especially Charlotte Flair.

“What I thought the first season did exponentially well was kind of humanize some of the people… I think the first season humanized Charlotte really, really well,” he explained. “She’s had this public life, and she’s like all of us—we make mistakes, and they happen very publicly.”

The former WWE Champion went on to slam social media’s role in blurring the lines between storyline and reality. According to Punk, too many fans think what they see on TV is real—and use it against wrestlers in everyday life.

“Where I have done dastardly things as CM Punk on TV… people in real life will then turn around and say to me like it’s some sort of a gotcha. And I’m like—that was a television show.”

He also took aim at so-called wrestling “journalists” and self-proclaimed insiders who contribute to the confusion.

“A lot of the fans nowadays will work themselves up and believe somebody that calls themselves a journalist or an insider that knows just as much as they do,” Punk said. “Like, ‘Oh, I know the lingo.’ That doesn’t mean you can talk to us.”

Punk’s blunt solution? “Stay off Twitter. Like I do,” he said. While he didn’t outright trash Unreal, Punk made it clear he prefers to protect some moments from public view—and he expects fans to understand that wrestlers are human, not just characters to dissect online.

CM Punk’s take is a reminder that even in the era of all-access programming, there are still limits. And maybe that’s a good thing.

Do you think WWE Unreal goes too far behind the scenes? Or is the show giving fans exactly what they’ve always wanted? Drop your thoughts in the comments below—we want to hear from you.

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