Released WWE Employee Claims She Earned “Just Over Minimum Wage”

WWE recently released several wrestlers from its roster, which came as a big shock to fans. However, the cuts didn’t only affect on-screen talent. At least one off-camera employee was also let go, and they claimed they were earning “just over minimum wage” while working for WWE.

A user on the subreddit r/SquaredCircle, named ‘controllasummervibes,’ said she was also released from WWE. The moderators checked her post and confirmed it was true after she shared a WWE paycheck as proof.

The former employee said she worked as a video editor for WWE’s social media team until she was suddenly let go because of budget cuts. She was heartbroken, calling it her dream job. She had decorated her desk and felt proud of her work. Even though she was upset, she hoped for better opportunities in the future.

“Up until Wednesday I was a video editor for their social medias. Out of no where they called me about some budget cuts and terminated my contract early. I’m heartbroken. I’ve been a huge fan and this was my dream job. My desk was decked out and I was so proud of my job. This is just me ranting and looking for support from a community I’ve been a part of I guess. Hopefully better things are coming :(“

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While WWE has been making record profits for years, that success didn’t reach Controll’s position. She revealed that she was just over minimum wage, even though WWE’s social media and video content are important for keeping fans engaged with the product, as she said, “Yea I was lowkey making just over minimum wage.”

Controll said she worked 50-60 hours a week, which was very stressful, but she still enjoyed the job. She edited 10-15 videos a day, depending on their length and platform. Her work included playlists, vault videos, and Top 10s. She also made 4×6 Instagram carousels. On show nights, she was in the office editing highlights and exclusive content. Those nights were busy but fun. Her last show was the Royal Rumble, which she felt was a great way to finish.

Controll explained that the social and digital teams were separate—social handled posting, while digital did the editing. Digital and social producers came up with ideas, and she helped put them together. More experienced editors worked on vlogs and tattoo-related content. She added there were about 30 people on both teams. While the job was fun, the pay was low and that made her feel that budget cuts were a bad excuse for layoffs. In the end, she thought it was a great job but very stressful.

“I was working 50-60 hours a week which tbh, was extremely stressful, but the job was rewarding so, worth it. I was editing 10-15 videos a day, depending on their length and platform. I was going a lot of playlists and vault videos. I had just started top 10s. Lots of 4×6 Instagram carousels. On show nights I would be in the office cutting highlights and exclusives. Those nights were crazy but really fun.

My last show was Royal rumble so honestly that was a good one to go out on. The social and digital team were separate so social did the posting and digital did the editing. The digital and social producers were the ones coming up with the ideas and stuff that I ultimately edited. The more experienced people did vlogs and tattooed and stuff like that. There were about 30ish people on the teams, more or less. Pay was bad, so that’s a big reason why budget cuts is such a stupid reason to me. All in all, it was a cool job, but definitely superrrr stressful”

Quite a few talent were released during the company’s latest slew of cuts. Giovanni Vinci was the latest name to be let go, joining a growing list of releases that includes Isla Dawn, Blair Davenport, Akam & Rezar, Paul Ellering, Cedric Alexander, Sonya Deville, and The Good Brothers.

This situation has started a debate about WWE’s budget cuts, especially since they affect hardworking employees behind the scenes. WWE’s social media is important for keeping fans interested, so time will tell if these workers will get better pay in the future.

Do you believe WWE’s budget cuts were justified, or do you think employees like Controll deserved better treatment? Share your thoughts in the comments!