Natalya Breaks Silence After Betraying Maxxine Dupri on WWE RAW

Natalya’s heel turn on the January 19, 2026, episode of Monday Night Raw may have blindsided fans—but according to the Queen of Harts herself, this new chapter is only getting started.

Speaking during an appearance on Busted Open Radio on January 22, Natalya addressed the betrayal of Maxxine Dupri and her interference in the Women’s Intercontinental Championship match, which directly cost Dupri the title. But instead of delivering a full explanation, she teased there’s far more to come.

“This is all I’m gonna say for right now: I will talk about all this when I’m ready to talk about it, but it’s the first time in my career that it was about taking action first before speaking about it.”

The veteran star, who had been working as a babyface since 2022, helped Becky Lynch escape defeat by putting her foot on the ropes—robbing Dupri of a title win. The post-match beatdown cemented Natalya’s turn and introduced fans to a darker, more calculated version of herself that she hinted had been building for a while.

“There’s going to be a whole lot more of that side of me, of what you saw on Monday. There’s gonna be a whole lot more of that on WWE programming, so you better stay tuned.”

She admitted that some fans were looking for a more detailed explanation—but insisted the time isn’t right just yet. Instead, she framed her actions as part of a larger personal evolution.

“I know that’s not the answer you wanted. But in all honesty, I will speak about it when I’m ready to speak about it.”

Natalya also touched on her ongoing work behind the scenes at WWE and NXT, mentoring younger talent, and how that has affected her understanding of identity and presentation.

“We have our real, true selves, and then we have other sides that have to please everyone, like our teachers, parents, coworkers, and the locker room. So I think when we can tap into our true selves, that’s when we tap into our best work.”

This gives even more weight to what PWInsider reported—that WWE management and locker room veterans were fully behind this character shift, believing it could be the catalyst for a major resurgence for Natalya on-screen. As one of WWE’s most respected in-ring performers and mentors, this next chapter could definitely be her most creatively fulfilling yet.

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