Velveteen Dream Admits He Didn’t Initially Think an Apology Was Necessary

Patrick Clark, once known in WWE as Velveteen Dream, is opening up about the apology he never thought he needed to make—and how growth and perspective forced him to reconsider everything.

In a revealing moment during his conversation on LiMPiN AiNT EASY w/ Timmy Baltimore, Clark said he fought the idea of issuing a public apology for months. After years out of the spotlight, he explained how a man named Bobby helped him navigate his return to social media—but it wasn’t easy. Clark was resistant when Bobby suggested that the first step to moving forward was taking accountability.

“So Bobby said, ‘You need to make an apology video.’ And I fought him on it for months. I didn’t understand why because I was like, ‘I don’t need to apologize to anyone. To me, there is no victim. Why do I need to apologize to anybody?’”

But over time, that mindset shifted. Clark said personal growth—and seeing how others were affected—forced him to reevaluate his stance.

“With growth, anything’s possible. And I sat down and said, ‘Well, I do have people I need to apologize to.’”

He gave an example involving his longtime friend and WWE star Ashanti Thee Adonis, who bailed him out of jail twice.

“It’s not easy on him to put his name on legal paperwork like that and then TMZ gets a hold of it and now he’s involved too. That’s not fair to anybody.”

Clark said the fallout from his actions reached beyond just wrestling.

“A lot of people were affected professionally because I was—I’m not gonna say I was a big deal—but I had an upside, and they were figuring out how to use me to benefit their product. And when you sweep the rug like that and you take me out the picture, the company’s got to pivot.”

Eventually, he came to terms with the weight of his past.

“I didn’t understand why I needed to apologize. But I’ve affected people—professionally and emotionally. That matters.”

Clark also reflected on the fans who once supported him, admitting he carried resentment for a long time.

“I have so much disdain toward the fan base… I’ve got so much love and appreciation for the fans now. I affected them. I disappointed a lot of people.”

He shared that his old way of thinking was rooted in fear and isolation:

“I didn’t… I put so much pressure on myself, the last thing I was going to do was accept pressure from outside sources. And I didn’t want to fail people. So if I didn’t accept them, you know, I can’t fail you. Right? But that’s not true. As I’ve learned, that’s not true. You live and you learn.”

And in a powerful closing anecdote, Clark revealed how one fan’s message showed him just how far his reach went—even when he was lost.

“I had one guy… he said when he first started watching me, he was a cheerleader in high school or college. He was bullied and he wanted to take his life.” He said watching me on TV play this fluid character gave him hope… and he started seeing things more positively. He sent me a picture of him and his wife and his daughter. He’s married now and he’s got a kid. I’m not saying I saved lives… that’s definitely not what pro wrestling is, but it definitely saved my life—and it definitely has the ability to save lives.”

Clark’s journey is far from over, but admitting he once refused to apologize—then realizing why he had to—marks a turning point in how he wants to move forward.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.