Velveteen Dream Says Jail and Sobriety Saved His Life After WWE Exit

Patrick Clark, formerly known as Velveteen Dream, is speaking openly about the lowest point in his life—and how sitting in jail for over two weeks gave him the wake-up call he didn’t know he needed.

During a revealing interview on LiMPiN AiNT EASY w/ Timmy Baltimore, Clark talked about how his downward spiral after WWE ended with not one, but two stints behind bars. He said everything unraveled after a drug possession charge led to probation and court-mandated rehab. But just two weeks before completing the program, things took a serious turn.

“When I went to jail, I went to jail twice. And the first time I went to jail, I was caught with a drug possession. And I went to court for that. And I was given probation.”

He said part of the deal included a 16-week 12-step program and 50 hours of community service. He was almost done when another incident derailed everything.

“I was on week 14 of the 12-step class. So I said, with two weeks left, let me get on my community service. When I was coming home, I got arrested a second time… I got into a fight which the police were involved, and because the police were involved, it was a violation of my probation—VOP.”

That violation landed him in jail for 18 days with no chance at immediate release.

“So it’s a VOP, violation of probation. So you sit in jail with no immediate bond. So I sat in jail for 18 days.”

Clark didn’t sugarcoat the experience, calling it “f**king terrible”—but admitted it was the reset he needed.

“I needed it. In hindsight, that was such an important part of my life. I had nothing but myself and reality and God. I read the Bible… made a covenant with God. And it was like, ‘If you ever let me touch grass again… I’ll do better.’”

He said being locked up stripped everything away and made him reassess what matters.

“You see things differently when you’re in a jail. Everything’s like blahh. There’s no place for life. I’m not going to say I’m going to be perfect. I tried that. I said, I’ll just do better. Like Maya Angelou said, ‘You know better, you do better.’”

He also acknowledged the weight of his past influence on fans and how he didn’t fully understand it until now.

“Now I see what I didn’t see back then. I understand the influence… the influence I had on such a wide audience.”

For Clark, the turning point was brutal but necessary. He summed it up with a line that puts everything in perspective:

“I’ve learned that wrestling saved my life. And jail did too. I went to jail twice… 18 days with no bond. That saved me.”

Whether fans believe in second chances or not, Clark’s story shows someone trying to face their past head-on. His journey isn’t over—but this chapter shows a man at least trying to move forward.

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