WWE Superstar Matt Riddle Denies Abuse Allegations Against Him

Through #SpeakingOut, WWN Live SHINE wrestler Candy Cartwright said WWE Superstar Matt Riddle sexually abused her in May 2018.

Cartwright wrote: "I'm posting this because I have been so sad for so long. I didn't realize that what he did to me was not ok. I realize now, reading these other brave women's stories, that I can't be afraid anymore and I have to #speakout. 

"Back in May of 2018 I was riding with Matt Riddle and a few other wrestlers. During the van ride, when the 3 other wrestlers had fallen asleep, Matt asked me to "hop on his dick". When I refused (although we had previously been together I was incredibly uncomfortable in that setting ) When I said no, he grabbed me by my throat, choked me and said "what if I just made you?" I ended up giving him oral sex (praying someone wouldn't wake up) to get out of having intercourse with him. It was incredibly humiliating. It is never ok to put your hands on a woman, it's also not ok to not listen when she says no."

Riddle previously issued a statement through his attorney on June 19, but he posted a video about the allegations against him yesterday.

Riddle said: "I'm going to make this quick, I have never in my entire life sexually assaulted a man, woman, or anybody and that includes Samantha Tavel, Candy Cartwright. I never sexually assaulted you. The story about that van trip and the driver being asleep and me forcing you to do stuff and hop on, whatever, is a complete lie. It's a fabricated story because you're still mad. You know why you're mad? Because yes, you're right, we had an affair. You have plenty of evidence of that and you know what? I never denied it because it happened. Do I wanna talk about it? Do I really wanna share about it? No. It's embarrassing because I feel like a real piece of crap cheating on my wife and doing that, and now having to talk about it publicly. But, I have to.

"We had a relationship. We had a fling. I started to get sad and depressed because I was lying to my wife so much to hide what I was doing. I was lying to all my friends because I didn't want anybody to know because it's not something cool. I didn't want to brag about it.

"I tried to end it, I told my wife about you and us. I tried to end it. I blocked you, I blocked your social media. You then started using messaging apps. You kept coming. I blocked those. I got a new number, you got my new number and kept messaging me. You literally got on social media accounts for other companies, kept messaging me and I blocked them. Now, you have literally started harassing me, showing up to hotels, harassing my friends, 'Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?' At this point, you had to realise if you don't think you're stalking or harassing me you're crazy. And if you are at home and you don't think that's harassment, you're crazy. 

"At the end of the day, I'm not perfect. We did have an affair and I'm not happy about that but I never sexually abused anybody. I never sexually assaulted anybody. And when I wanted to get out of this 'relationship,' out of this situation, she said, 'No,' and she kept pursuing me, and harassing me and stalking me, and when she didn't get her way she used the SpeakOut movement to try to ruin my career. Completely unacceptable. That's all I really have to say, that's the story. Everybody have a great day, take care. Later."

WWE issued the following statement on the matter back on June 19: "We take any allegation of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter."