Sonya Deville was recently a guest on Afterbuzz TV in which she discussed coming out as gay. Below is what she had to say, transcript courtesy of WrestlingInc.

“I knew [my mom] would be supportive. I just, I was in such denial within myself for the longest time, just because of the place I grew up in,” said Deville who grew up in a small town in New Jersey. “Like, it wasn’t common. I didn’t know anybody that was gay. I think I had one gay friend in high school and she never even, like, came out. It was just, like, we all just knew.” 

“I think I was more just not comfortable with saying it. I was also in denial. I was like, ‘I’m not gay, am I?’ Cause I think, also the fact that I didn’t fit the stereotypical mold of what a lesbian is supposed to be or act, I was just this girl that nobody would have expected. Maybe had someone said, ‘are you gay?’ I would have been like, ‘yeah, yeah, I am actually.’ You know what I mean? And it took that opportunity, that opportunity happened when I was 17 living in Florida, when I just graduated high school. My friend’s mom said to me, ‘honey, I think you’re gay.’ And I go, ‘yeah, I am.'” 

“As soon as someone vocalized it to me, gave me permission. I was like, ‘yes, yes, yeah!’ But no one had ever said it. I would think it but then I’d be ‘no, I’ve been dating guys my whole life.’ There was just… I just had a juxtaposition in my head. I just couldn’t figure it out.”