Kris Statlander, known for her dynamic presence in AEW, has shared insights into the stark contrast between her real-life personality and the character she plays in the wrestling world. Speaking on the podcast Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Statlander described how her in-ring persona as a fierce competitor diverges significantly from how she acts outside the spotlight, offering a glimpse into Kris Statlander real personality.
Kris Statlander’s Quiet Nature Offstage
Unlike the confident and intimidating figure she embodies during wrestling matches, Statlander revealed that she is naturally quite reserved and shy.
“Normal, not wrestler on TV, me, I’m very shy,”
Statlander confessed.
“And when I’m meeting new people, I really don’t speak a lot because I don’t ever want to like interfere with the vibes of other people in a group. And I worry sometimes people might not think I’m friendly for that, but I always try to be friendly,”
she added.
She explained that she prefers solitude and values keeping to herself in everyday life, a stark contrast to her work persona where she embraces boldness and strength.
“I like to keep to myself. I like to be kind of alone a lot of my time. But then at work — big, powerful, strong person. And, you know, I try to be more out there. I try to be bold and daring and scary and stuff like that. But I’m not a scary person. I’m not an intimidating person. I’m such a weird, weird, weird, weird, dork person. And I don’t have any shame. I’m not afraid to admit that,”
Statlander explained.
The Evolution From Alien Persona to Present Day
Early in her career, Statlander’s alien-themed character bore closer resemblance to her true personality, although she struggled with balancing authenticity and performance. She reflected on this duality, stating,
“I think it’s taken me a long time to be like, ‘I don’t care if you think I’m weird. I don’t care if you think I’m cringey in my personal time, because that’s who I am. And I’m not going to apologize for acting weird on my own time.’”
She also discussed the challenges of trying to merge her quirky real-life traits with a more serious wrestling character.
“So I think that’s the biggest thing is that I tried, or I tried to kind of be everybody, be both of them at once when I was Alien Kris early on. Trying to be like, ‘No, I’m just a weird person and I’m going to do embarrassing things, but I’m an alien, so it’s fine. You understand that it’s different.’ But now trying to be a more serious, more of a bad-ass character, so to say. People don’t like when you do weird things. They’re like, ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’ And I’m like, well, I’m sorry, it’s just me. I can’t help it sometimes,”
she remarked.
Recent Career Developments and Upcoming Matches
Statlander’s time as AEW Women’s World Champion ended last month when she dropped the title to Thekla. This Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, Thekla will defend her championship against Thunder Rosa for the first time since winning the belt. Meanwhile, Statlander is set to defend her Pro Wrestling Eve International Championship in London against Charlie, formerly known as Dakota Kai. This match will take place at the Wrestle Queendom event on Sunday, March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
Significance of Statlander’s Openness and Future Prospects
Opening up about her Kris Statlander real personality reveals the challenges wrestlers face when navigating their public personas against their personal identities. Her candidness about being shy and quirky underscores the complexity behind the larger-than-life images fans see. With significant matches on the horizon, including her championship defense in the United Kingdom, Statlander continues to evolve both as a performer and as an individual, balancing her personal authenticity with the demands of the wrestling world. Her story offers fans a deeper understanding of the woman beneath the character and highlights the human side of professional wrestling.
