Priscilla Kelly Says Tampon Spot Nearly Broke Her Mentally After Online Backlash

Priscilla Kelly is finally breaking down the full story behind her infamous tampon spot—and responding to the wave of backlash that claimed she “set women’s wrestling back.”

During a conversation on Rulebreakers podcast with Saraya, Kelly didn’t hold back as she revealed how the viral moment spiraled into a mental health crisis—and how legends like Lita helped pull her out of it. It all started at a 21+ no-ring bar show in California. Kelly wanted to do something different to stand out in a chaotic environment.

“It was a 21 and up bar show… there’s no ring. So you have to figure out a way for your match to be different than all the other matches where they’re just bar fighting… I was like, I have this idea.”

She confirmed the tampon was real (but clean), and her opponent was fully in on it. But when the clip hit the internet months later, the reaction was brutal—and personal.

“I thought this footage was never going to see the light of day… I’m working my shitty little vitamin job at GNC and my phone just starts going nuts. The internet’s blowing up. And it was really bad at first.”

Kelly said some of the most painful comments came from legends she grew up idolizing.

“There were so many big names in wrestling that were saying I was disgusting, that I was an embarrassment, and I was setting women’s wrestling back.”

That line stuck with her—being told she was reversing the progress of an entire generation of female wrestlers. She admitted the experience nearly broke her.

“I’m at work at GNC and I’m panicking because I can’t go home and just deal with this… I was in a really bad place mentally.”

Then came a DM that changed everything.

“It wasn’t until Lita messaged me… she said something like, ‘I think you’re awesome.’ That’s all it took to get me out of this mental hole. I was like, I don’t give a fuck what anybody else says—Lita just told me I was cool.”

With support from other legends like Tommy Dreamer and Taz, Kelly started to fight back.

“I end up making a shirt with the tampon… and all the proceeds went to help women in other countries get access to period products.”

Her message to critics? She turned that backlash into purpose.

“Some people were like, ‘That’s so silly.’ But they don’t realize how necessary this stuff is… So I capitalized on it. I turned a negative into a positive.”

And for everyone who said she’d never work again?

“A week later, I got called for my first tour of England… After that, I just tried to have banger matches. I wanted to prove everyone wrong and show that I’m a jack of all trades.”

Priscilla Kelly may have shocked the wrestling world, but she refused to let that moment define her. She faced down her critics, used the hate to help others, and proved her place in the industry—on her own terms.

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