Damian Priest Defends Celebrity Involvement In WWE During WrestleMania Season

Damian Priest isn’t buying into the yearly complaints about celebrities appearing in WWE, and he made it clear he sees the bigger picture when it comes to outside stars stepping into the spotlight.

While speaking on the Gabby AF podcast, Priest was asked about the growing presence of celebrities around WrestleMania season. With names from sports, music, and entertainment regularly appearing on WWE programming, fans often debate whether those spots should go to full-time wrestlers instead. Priest admitted he understands the conversation, but he believes celebrity involvement plays a major role in expanding WWE’s reach.

He explained that the debate happens every year, but from his perspective, celebrities help bring fresh attention to the product and can turn their own fanbases into wrestling fans. Priest also pointed out that modern celebrity guests are putting in serious effort behind the scenes, training and learning the craft rather than just showing up for exposure.

“So, I never had an issue with the host celebrity. And first of all, that's nothing new. And I think every year it's the same conversation. We're like, why is this person on the show and not that person? It's every year. It's going to be the same argument.”

Priest continued by explaining how celebrity appearances can directly benefit the roster by exposing WWE talent to entirely new audiences who may not have tuned in otherwise.

“But celebrities, I think, add — they're bringing different eyes. And for everybody that's around on the card or on the shows or in video packages, if a fan of that celebrity is watching, they might like you, a certain superstar, and then they start watching that. And that's the whole point — is to get a fan out of this, you know, and hopefully more than one.”

He also stressed that today’s celebrity involvement is different from what it used to be, noting that many outside stars now treat wrestling with respect and take the responsibility seriously.

“I like it. I don't mind it, especially now more than ever, that the celebrities aren't just coming in just to promote something. They're not coming in just because they're getting a payday and they come in and they leave and they don't care.”

Priest made it clear that modern celebrity guests are willing to train and earn their spot, which he believes makes a huge difference compared to earlier eras.

“These guys are actually training and dedicating themselves to put on a performance. And you got to respect that. And I appreciate that they're showing our business respect… Every celebrity that comes to our world treats it with respect and earns their spot in a way because they put in the work to make sure they don't embarrass themselves, their fans, our fans, or our talent.”

With WrestleMania season always bringing crossover stars into the mix, Priest’s comments offer a look at how talent inside WWE view the situation differently than many fans online. Instead of seeing celebrities as competition, he sees them as an opportunity to grow the audience and bring more eyes to the product.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.