When did Toni Cassano and Sonya Deville start dating?
One of the best-known WWE couples out there is Sonya Deville and model and fitness enthusiast Toni Cassano. The WWE star managed to inspire a lot of people, not just because of her strength inside the ring, but also for openly advocating for the LGBTQ+ community.
Deville began her journey in WWE by joining the sixth season of the Stamford-based promotion's reality TV series Tough Enough. The SmackDown star made headlines during her stay at the competition not just because of her performance, but also because she came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community while in front of the judges.
Since then, the superstar has been open about her relationships, especially with her current girlfriend. It was unknown when Sonya Deville and Toni Cassano officially started dating, but the couple first shared their relationship with the public in May by posting a photo together on social media.
As the first openly gay female WWE Superstar, Sonya explained the importance of having a platform and shared that she never had any negative experiences backstage.
"I realized the more I shared my story, the more I was open with the fans, the more love I got, and the more stories I heard and messages I would get from other people going through the same thing; that was pretty comforting to me... I think the environment has changed a lot, and I’ve never had any negative experiences backstage, or within the company, I can honestly say.”
Sonya Deville made sure Toni Cassano was comfortable putting their relationship to the public
While Toni Cassano might not have been part of the WWE roster, The Pridefighter made sure that Cassano was known by fans by attending events and posting photos together.
As shared by Sonya Deville, they had a conversation about the public nature of their relationship and added that they enjoy sharing their journey together.
"I always want to make sure that [Cassano] is comfortable and OK with being on the red carpets, in front of the cameras, in front of the paparazzi ... So we've had that conversation. We're on the same page, so it works out. We get to share our fitness journey and everything that we have going on together, so it's been really fun."
Although the internet is not always a positive space, it's a good thing that Sonya Deville is surrounded by supportive people and continues to provide representation to the LGBTQ+ community.