Deonna Purrazzo is firing back after her disturbing fan encounter somehow turned into a debate over whether she had the right to feel unsafe.
The AEW star recently shared a story about a man who drove two hours from Connecticut to meet her at WrestleCon because he believed they were in a relationship. Purrazzo said he had been catfished, and she gently broke the news that he had not actually been talking to her. The situation did not end there, because the same man showed up the next day at a small independent wrestling event where she was appearing.
After some people online took issue with how the story was being framed, Purrazzo made it clear that she never labeled the man a stalker. She also explained why the whole thing still left her uncomfortable.
“I never called this man a stalker. He was catfished, which is incredibly sad. However, if you can’t understand why him driving home after realizing he’d been catfished and then STILL showing up to my small independent show the next day made me uncomfortable, I don’t know what to tell you.”
Purrazzo then explained that this was not just some confused fan who got tricked online. She said the man believed her real marriage was fake, thought they were privately texting and sending photos through an encrypted app, and even believed they had a vacation planned together.
“This was someone who believed my real marriage was a PR stunt, believed we were texting/sending photos on an encrypted app, and had planned a vacation for us…”
That is why Deonna said she had no way of knowing how he would react once he realized the relationship he believed in was not real.
“I had no way of knowing how he would react… was he embarrassed/angry? What else could he be capable of? So yes, still coming to the show was alarming and had me concerned for my safety.”
Purrazzo also pushed back on the idea that she should have to defend why the situation scared her. She made it clear the bigger issue is how people online treat women when they speak up about feeling unsafe.
“And truthfully, I shouldn’t NEED to explain why I felt the way I did. The internet loves to act like women want to be victims, when in reality, we just want to feel safe.”
Purrazzo’s point was not about throwing a label on the man. It was about explaining why a wrestler would feel uneasy when a stranger believes they are secretly dating, travels across state lines, gets told the truth, and still shows up again the next day.
Do you agree with Deonna Purrazzo, or do you think fans are overlooking how unsettling situations like this can become? Let us know in the comments below.