Indi Hartwell Clashed with WWE Higher-Up Over Ghostface Costume in NXT

Indi Hartwell ran into a roadblock in NXT when she tried to bring back an iconic look from Halloween Havoc.

During a recent K & S WrestleFest virtual signing, Hartwell revealed that she had a full Ghostface-inspired outfit made for a ladder match at Halloween Havoc, only to be shut down by WWE officials at the last minute.

“So that Ghostface thing with Candice, I think it happened on Halloween Havoc in 2021 or maybe 2020. Then a few years later, I had a ladder match at Halloween Havoc, so I got Ghostface gear made. But then right before the match, I was told by a higher-up, very high-up person who’s no longer there, I wasn’t allowed to wear the Ghostface gear because of copyright reasons. I tried to argue and say, ‘but we did it on TV a few years ago.’ But they said no, so then I couldn’t wear it,” Hartwell explained.

The original Ghostface stunt took place when The Way used a masked figure to interfere in the NXT Women’s Championship match between IYO SKY and Candice LeRae in 2020. Fans loved the callback, but WWE wasn’t willing to let Hartwell run with it again.

When asked if she argued about the decision, Hartwell said she didn’t get into a full-blown fight, but her friend Steph De Lander had to step in and pull her away from the situation.

Hartwell’s time in WWE came to an end in November 2024 when she was released from the company. The decision shocked many fans, considering her success in NXT and brief run on the main roster.

With her WWE chapter closed, do you think Indi Hartwell was underutilized? Should she get another shot elsewhere? Drop your thoughts below!