Candy Floss On Leave From WWE NXT UK

WWE NXT UK Superstar Candy Floss has issued a statement regarding rumours following the Speaking Out Movement. Within the statement, Candy Floss noted she is currently on leave from NXT UK after being diagnosed with severe anxiety, depression, low moods and PTSD.

The statement is as follows:

After the Speaking Out Movement, concerns and rumours about my relationship with my partner started to make their way around the wrestling industry. Despite the fact that these concern my welfare, virtually no one has ever reached out to me directly to talk about them.

Earlier this year, these rumours found their way to wrestling promotions. Progress Wrestling paid for an independent safeguarding consultant and former police officer to conduct a thorough investigation. The case was closed months ago as it was found that everything was absolutely fine, and the whistleblower was informed of this. 

You can find all the information about the safeguarding consultant at https://www.thesafeguardingconsultant.co.uk/gill-sommers and should you wish to actually speak to her directly about the investigation you can contact her at the email address listed here: https://www.thesafeguardingconsultant.co.uk/contact.

After the investigation was over, the safeguarding consultant told me she hopes these rumours would now be dealt with and we could get on with our lives. Sadly this wasn't the case. The whistleblower continues and things got worse.

Over the last year I have had promotions (that I previously felt very at home with) clumsily send scary and vague messages about these concerns into my friendship group instead of going to a safeguarding authority. I've had promotions, wrestlers and even friends distance themselves from us when I've told them that these rumours weren't true and, when presented with the above safeguarding information and results of the investigation, refused to even look at it, meaning that if they really believed there was something wrong their response was just turn their back and leave me in that situation.

I was recently told that I was 'defensive' and 'unprofessional' for giving someone this safeguarding information and they had 'absolutely no interest in it whatsoever.' I've seen a wrestler who has made a name for themselves over the last year by being very vocal about change and things being done properly gossiping about these rumours on a fan Discord server, when we've never even met.

Fans have tweeted about it too and, when I've been in contact with them to present them with the above safeguarding information, I've been argued with, questioned or just completely ignored. An anonymous burner account tweeted about it and argued with me so much that I had to go to the police and report them for harassment to get them to stop. 

There have even been promotions that contacted the safeguarding consultant, were given the results of the investigation and were so impressed that they actually asked to employ her, but still unbooked my partner. 

Some of these rumours also involve my mum, twisting things that she said and jokes she made in order to fit a narrative that I am a victim. This to me is the saddest thing of all. She loved our relationship and we loved her. 

An important thing that came up from last year was 'Believe Victims.' But in my personal experience it's been 'Believe Victims until they say they're not a victim and everything's fine, then just don't listen to them and think what you want or listen to someone who wasn't even there or just don't even bother asking at all'. Somehow my voice in this situation seems to be the one that matters the least.

What is the point of all these brave people sharing their stories and demanding real change and proper, effective safeguarding in the industry if, when a promotion actually does bring it in, it does it's job and everything turns out to be fine we're just going to choose not to believe it or completely ignore it because it doesn't fit the narrative that we have heard or prefer? How does that help make this industry any safer?

I would like to say that I have seen some real change as I've now been contacted by a few wrestling companies' safeguarding officers to investigate these rumours. All with the same results as Progress'. That would not have happened before June 2020.

I am currently on leave from NXT UK as I was diagnosed last year with severe anxiety, depression, low moods and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) after my Mum passed away from cancer in May 2019. WWE have been amazing but this does not help. It makes everything harder and gets in the way of me being able to get back to work. It has destroyed mine and my partner's mental health and caused so much damage to both our careers and lives. If you have any concerns please contact the email address above, otherwise please move on and give your attention to somewhere that truly needs it so we can both get on with our lives.

The Speaking Out Movement revealed so many problems and started a much needed conversation. But it's not a conversation if you're not listening.

Thank you, 

Amy

After sporadically wrestling on NXT UK in 2018 and 2019, Candy Floss signed with WWE in January 2020. She hasn't wrestled on the independent scene or in WWE since August 2019.