Ex-WWE Star Was “Outed As A Mom” On TV
Former WWE star Joy Giovanni got her big break in the company courtesy of the 2004 Diva Search competition but it was during that, she says, that she was “outed” on TV by another competitor.
As part of the contest, a Diss The Diva round was held where the contestants – including Carmella DeCesare – were given a live microphone on Raw and apparently allowed to say whatever they wanted about each other, leading to some decidedly un-PG remarks making air.
Speaking on Ring The Belle, Joy Giovanni revealed that Carmella’s comment about her being a mother caused Stephanie McMahon to pull her aside and also added that one of her agents dropped her when they found out she had children:
“Back then, the industry was completely different. In the film and television industry and the ‘sports entertainment industry,’ it was highly unacceptable to have children. It wasn’t something that people would out loud tell you just like other types of discrimination but if an agent, if a manager, if a production found out that you have kids, you are undesirable.”
“Carmella in all of her glory was the one that outed me to the entire world that I was a mom. Nobody knew. I got pulled aside by production, by Stephanie McMahon, by everyone you could imagine, and they were like, ‘do you have kids?!’ And I was like ‘Surprise, I do. [awkward thumbs up gesture].
“And the crazy thing is the only reason she knew that is because of that tiny room that we were in, she would hear my personal phone conversations talking to my kids multiple times a day. So, she took it upon herself to bring me out of the parenthood closet. And to be quite honest I actually got dropped by one of my agents because of it.”
The 2004 Diva Search was one by Christy Hemme but the contest also introduced fans to future WWE stars such as Maria Kanellis and Michelle McCool.