D-Von Dudley has had enough of what he calls reckless headline chasing, and this time he is speaking directly to fans to clear the air.

The WWE Hall of Famer addressed renewed chatter surrounding old comments he once made about Stephanie McMahon during Episode 54 of Devon & The Duke. What some outlets framed as controversy, D-Von says, was never inappropriate and completely ignored the real context behind his words.

According to D-Von, his comments stemmed from respect and gratitude, not attraction in the way it was portrayed. He explained that Stephanie was one of the people who showed genuine care for him during a terrifying medical emergency, reaching out personally and making sure his family was supported while he underwent surgery.

“I got upset about the whole Stephanie McMahon thing because it really hurt me. This woman didn’t have to call me during my stroke , but she did. Not only did she call, she left messages telling me I was a rock star, that she was rooting for me, and couldn’t wait to see me back. She even joked in the voicemail that she just found out my real name was ‘Devon,’ not ‘D-Von’ , and it made me laugh during a tough time.”

“She also spoke to my wife when I was in surgery and made sure she was okay and I was doing better… That’s a real friend.”

D-Von said the situation escalated after a lighthearted Attitude Era question was taken out of context, with one word choice becoming the basis for sensational headlines.

“Then some question was brought up about the Attitude Era and someone asked, ‘Would you have wanted to date Stephanie McMahon back then?’ I answered, ‘Why wouldn’t you? She’s a beautiful woman. But Triple H found her first.’ Then I mistakenly used the word ‘infatuation’ instead of ‘admired’ , and the media ran with it.”

“They said I was obsessed, they twisted it into something inappropriate… That could’ve hurt my marriage, my life , luckily, it didn’t. But shame on them. Karma’s real.”