Speaking on Pod Meets World, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus revealed that she was approached multiple times, and even faced pressure from Vince McMahon to take the offer.

“No, it’s just not for me,” she said when asked if she regretted turning Playboy down. “I’m like a tomboy, even though I am known as a sex symbol, I suppose. That is not me. That is my character. It was not even an option. ‘That is not me.’”

Even the regular swimsuit and lingerie shoots made her uncomfortable. Stratus recalled how WWE moved from bikinis to lingerie for the annual Divas Magazine photoshoots, and she did her best to make it work in her own way.

“Even when I had to do lingerie stuff, it just wasn’t me. It was very put on. One time, they had these annual magazines called the Divas Magazine, which was our Swimsuit Magazine where we would go to exotic locations. I don’t know if it was budget cuts or ‘horny writer storylines,’ but suddenly, instead of the annual bikini issue, they wanted a lingerie issue and I was like, ‘Eww.’ I didn’t want to do it. It felt so silly to me, so I made this whole sports lingerie look.”

When Playboy officially came calling, she stood firm, even as Vince McMahon kept pushing.

“When Playboy came along, I was like, ‘Absolutely not interested.’ Vince, oh my God, hounded me like crazy. He’s like, ‘It’s a great opportunity.’ I was shown during that time, ‘If you turn this down, we’re going to give your opportunity to her. Are you sure?’ ‘No, I still don’t want to do it. Thank you.’ They came to me for years and years, and I was like, ‘No.’”

Years later, Stratus says she has no regrets about her decision and is proud she stayed true to herself.

“I do not regret it. It’s just not my thing. Now that I have a kid and everything, I can’t even imagine. That is my decision and I stand by it.”

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