Vince McMahon Kept Ex-WWE Star Safe After Kidnap Attempt
A former WWE star has detailed the lengths the company and Vince McMahon went to after they were the victim of an attempted kidnapping.
In August 2020, Sonya Deville was confronted in her own home by an intruder intent on kidnapping the WWE star.
Sonya Deville was subjected to threatening messages both sent directly to her and on social media by Phillip Thomas before he drove from South Carolina to Florida to Deville’s house with zip ties, duct tape, and a knife. Surveillance footage from Deville’s home showed Thomas entering after the WWE star had checked a door when her alarm was triggered. Deville and former WWE star Mandy Rose – who was also present – managed to flee in a car away from the scene.
In 2023, the judge presiding over the case accepted a plea agreement that saw Thomas plead guilty to attempted kidnapping, aggravated stalking, and armed burglary. Thomas was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by another 15 years on probation.
Vince McMahon Personally Rented House For WWE Star
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, Sonya Deville opened up about her ordeal and noted WWE security helped her clear her house out as she was put into a hotel under an alias amid concern that bail was going to be granted to her would-be kidnapper:
WWE sent security to meet me there to go in the house and get my stuff out. They got us a hotel in downtown Tampa. I was so paranoid. I thought the hotel couldn’t be in my name because the whole concern was he was going to get out on bail and they weren’t going to grant a permit restraining order. The people at Tampa Police who were communicating with me were like, ‘He’s going to get some kind of bail. I don’t know if he going to be able to make it, but he’s going to get some kind of bail.’
I was freaking out. He’s going to be loose tonight and come right back after me. The cops made it clear, and in the interrogation he made it clear he’s not done with me, and when he gets free he will come back after me. I was freaked out. I put the hotel name under an alias. Me and Mandy [Rose] are in a hotel room together, scared shitless, we dragged the dresser in front of the hotel room door.
Continuing, Deville revealed Vince McMahon personally checked in with her, inviting her to SummerSlam so he could say hello and offer a hug. McMahon ended up renting a house for Deville in another part of Florida as she got back on her feet:
I’m talking to Vince McMahon. SummerSlam is coming up and he’s checking in on me. He said, ‘Why don’t you come to the venue? I want to say hi and hug you.’ We drove to the venue, saw him, Hunter [Triple H] and Stephanie [McMahon] were there.
He’s like, ‘What do you need from me?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Are you going to be okay staying back at your house?’ ‘No, I don’t think I can go back there.’ I left on my ADT camera and there were reporters all over my front door step. ‘I can’t do this. It’s okay. I’ll figure it out.’ Vince is like, ‘No, what do you want to do? Do you need a place to stay?’ ‘I don’t know. My dad is coming down tomorrow and we’ll try to figure something out.’ ‘Alright, we’ll get you a place to stay if you need a place to stay.’
Vince rented a house for me to stay in, in a different part of Florida. My mom came to stay with me. Mandy stayed with me a little. Mandy’s mom came and stayed, and hired 24/7 armed security. These guys had guns on their hips.
In February 2025, Sonya Deville was among the latest raft of WWE exits as she was told her contract with the company would not be extended.