Natalya Opens Up About Her WWE Hiatus and Return

As seen on the September 9th, 2024, edition of WWE RAW, Natalya made her long-awaited return to television after a several-month hiatus. During a recent appearance on the Growing Up Von Erich podcast, Natalya opened up about her time away from the ring and what it meant to return.

“I made my return back to the ring and I took the summer off. I was working on a couple projects, but we’re back in Calgary, and that’s where my family started. My grandfather started Stampede Wrestling and built the Hart legacy in this city. So, it was so cool to be able to make my re-debut in WWE, back in Calgary. My whole family was there, Bret (Hart) was on RAW, and then, you know, I was able to win my match for my team, and it’s just so cool. It’s so cool. It’s always nice being back home."

Natalya also shared her experience with taking time off and the supportive environment in WWE, especially under Triple H’s leadership: “I took a little time off this summer, and the company was so great about it. They were like, ‘Take as much time as you need.’ It’s really changing so much in the best way, and the culture is so different now. Our boss, Triple H, he is such a cool boss. I just recently got eye surgery to correct astigmatism in my eye, and I needed a little bit more time off to get that done. He’s like, ‘Go get your eyes fixed.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t even worry about it.’ He’s like, ‘Take care of yourself,’ and it was like, it’s just so cool to have a boss that’s human.”

Reflecting on her time working with Triple H, Natalya added, “I was saying this to my husband the other day, ‘Working with Triple H over the last year, it’s been such a breath of fresh air,’ because he was also a wrestler. So, he knows all about what it’s like. You’re pitching a storyline, or you’re going through a hardship at home — he has three daughters as well. So, he knows about handling girls. Girls are different than guys. We’re more emotional, and we overthink things… He’s a really cool boss. I really like working for him and with him. It’s just been such a breath of fresh air.”

Natalya concluded by discussing her need for a mental reset and her perspective on taking time off: “Even for me, just taking this break from WWE… I had my last match in June, so it was like, not even three months, but I took a little break because I was like, ‘I need a little mental reset.’ Or I just need some time to regroup, recalibrate, refocus… Again, it’s for my mental health because it’s one thing to be healthy and fit, like on a treadmill or you look great or you got abs, but if you’re not right up here, if your head isn’t right, you can’t do any of the fun stuff. And I always try to take the experiences that I’ve gone through and try to be there for the other girls in the locker room that may need guidance or help because life, whether you’re wrestling in WWE or you’re a mom or you’re a teacher or whatever it is that you’re doing, it’s hard. It’s day-to-day. Everything for me is just day-to-day.”