Scott D’Amore Breaks Silence on Tessa Blanchard’s TNA Return After Bullying and Racism Allegations

Tessa Blanchard’s return to TNA Wrestling has been anything but smooth, and now, former TNA President Scott D’Amore is addressing whether he ever seriously considered bringing her back while he was in charge.

Blanchard, once a rising star in professional wrestling, saw her career spiral in 2020 after a series of bullying and racism allegations surfaced against her. Several wrestlers, including prominent names in the industry, accused her of mistreatment, with one of the most severe allegations claiming she used racial slurs toward another talent. Just months later, Blanchard’s relationship with TNA completely crumbled, resulting in her being stripped of the TNA World Championship and released from the company.

After years of being exiled from major wrestling promotions in the United States, Blanchard made her official return to TNA earlier this year. However, her presence in the Knockouts Division hasn’t been universally welcomed. Fans at live events have made their stance clear, chanting “She’s a racist” during her matches and voicing displeasure over her return.

During an interview with POST Wrestling, Scott D’Amore, who was running TNA at the time of Blanchard’s controversial exit, was asked if there were ever serious discussions about her returning while he was still in charge. He admitted that the talks never progressed far, though he did have a personal conversation with Blanchard two years ago that helped him move on from past issues.

“We left that conversation with saying what we felt we needed to say to each other,” D’Amore revealed. “I think letting go with grudges and not carrying that around is a healthy thing in life. What’s that saying, carrying around hatred is like being mad at somebody else and punishing yourself? Really, I think that’s what it is.”

While Blanchard’s comeback remains divisive among fans, D’Amore made it clear that he harbors no ill will toward her and hopes she has taken steps to improve as a person.

“No ill will for me for Tessa,” he said. “I hope Tessa’s grown as a person. I hope we all grow as people. If I’m the same person now that I was 13 months ago when I left TNA, I’m failing as a human being.”

He also acknowledged that while he may have found personal closure, the larger wrestling world will ultimately decide whether Blanchard truly deserves a second chance.

“The wrestling world’s going to decide what opportunities and chances Tessa gets, and I hope that she’s in a better place in life and makes the right decisions and goes on and lives a healthy, productive life in or outside of wrestling.”

At the end of the day, Tessa Blanchard’s return to TNA is a gamble, and the jury is still out on whether it will pay off. While Scott D’Amore might have moved on from past issues, the fans clearly haven’t, and the reactions at live events prove that. Wrestling has always been about redemption stories, but Blanchard has a long road ahead if she wants to rewrite hers.