Naomi Explains Why She Walked Out of WWE Back in 2022 with Sasha Banks

Naomi has opened up about the real reason behind her headline-making WWE walkout in 2022—revealing it was about reclaiming her voice, not just her career.

During the January 20, 2026 episode of WWE Unreal Season 2, Naomi reflected on the infamous night when she and her tag partner Mercedes Moné (then Sasha Banks) left WWE while holding the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Though she kept many of the specifics private, Naomi made it clear that something happened that day which made her feel she had to make a personal stand.

"I’m not going to go too much into detail, but in 2022 my tag team partner Sasha Banks and I were the tag team champions at the time. A lot happened that day at work that led us to leave—literally walk out."

Naomi explained that she wasn’t walking out as her WWE character, Naomi, but as Trinity, the person behind the persona. It was the first time in her life she wasn’t under contract or sure of what came next—and she described it as both terrifying and liberating.

“I needed to stand up for myself, not as Naomi, but as Trinity. And that was the first time in my life and my career that I wasn’t employed and didn’t know what to do next or where to go next.”

Her comments add important context to what became one of the most talked-about exits in modern WWE history. While Mercedes Moné went on to make waves in Japan and AEW, Naomi returned to WWE in January 2024 at the Royal Rumble, marking her comeback after nearly two years away.

The walkout was seen as controversial at the time, but Naomi’s words reveal a deeper personal journey—one that went beyond titles and TV time.

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