"It really took its toll on my mental health" - Peyton Royce reveals struggles during her time in WWE
One of the biggest and most shocking releases that WWE announced last month was that of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, known together as The IIconics. Many considered the two to be the future of WWE's women's division, and their release came as a big surprise.
Recently, Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce) and Jessica McKay (Billie Kay) announced that they'll be starting a podcast named Off Her Chops. On the first episode, the two spoke about their mental health struggles and anxiety during their time in WWE. Peyton Royce shared how she struggled with traveling and not getting enough time with her loved ones.
"I would get physically ill inside of an airport, put me on a plane getting to the next town," said Lee. "Remember one time we had to pull the car over on the highway? I thought I was gonna throw up. I feel like it just got worse every week. If it's for leisure, sure. The airport is great. Love flying. Give me a window seat, so I don't vomit all over myself, but I didn't know when it was."
" It was just different when it was for work for some reason," Lee added. "I knew every time I got on a plane, I wouldn't be back for five days and then when I got home, I would only have two nights at home and in that time, I would have to do all my washing, rearrange my bag, run my errands, and I would maybe have half a day to myself to spend with my then-fiance and my dogs and it was just -- it really took its toll on my mental health personally,” said Cassie Lee fka Peyton Royce. (h/t Fightful)
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay had a successful run in WWE
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay started their WWE careers together in 2015, and they joined NXT. The two soon formed an on-screen pairing, then known as The Iconic Duo. After they spent a couple of years in NXT, they moved to the main roster and were renamed The IIconics. Their biggest moment of glory came at WrestleMania 35, where they won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.
After holding the titles for around four months, The IIconics dropped them to the team of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. In August 2020, WWE broke the team up after the duo lost a stipulation match to The Riott Squad. Following that, Peyton Royce remained on Monday Night RAW while Billie Kay was drafted to Friday Night SmackDown.
Unfortunately, both women were released in April, but it's fair to expect them to enjoy even more success in their post-WWE careers.