UK indie wrestler Natalie Sykes has accused WWE NXT UK Superstar Ligero (Simon Musk) of sexual harassment.
Sykes took to Twitter today and issued a statement on her negative experiences with the masked wrestler, who started training her when she was 17. Her full Twitter statement is as follows:
“Ligero was my trainer for quit some time, he befriended me when I was around 17 and at the time I thought that was okay because he was my trainer and he had a lot of knowledge I hoped he would pass on to me.
“He started messaging me on Snapchat but later it was WhatsApp. He then began making sexual comments about me which made me very uncomfortable but I thought I had a thick enough skin to deal with it so I would never directly confront him but just laugh it off so he wouldn’t get mad at me.
“It got to a point where the comments were constant, he would also ask me for selfies or photos of me wearing my wrestling gear after it was just posted to me (to ‘show him what it looked like’). I never sent him photos because I thought it was very weird but when I would post on Instagram he would tell me how pretty I was etc. He also became rather obsessive over my private relationships with people not involved in wrestling. Belittling me and bullying them and constantly highlighting how bad the relationship was and encouraging us to breakup.
“He would also bring up my dad, my dad is not someone I have talked about publicly but for context my dad has not been in my life for quite some time. Ligero thought it would be a good idea to psychoanalyse me and my relationship with my father. In the same message he compared himself to being my father figure whilst also joking about sleeping with me.
“It came to a point where I was in a very bad place mentally and I completely shut down and stopped training. It was a rough time for me for a variety of reasons. Ligero would message me constantly and I felt pressured to reply even when I didn’t have any energy and it was so draining. Especially because I would wake up to massive paragraphs slating me and my wrestling abilities and how bad of a person I am to then 5 minutes later wanting to be my friend and wanted to have a laugh.
“When I finally went to someone I trusted privately and told them everything that was going on the situation was sorted that he wouldn’t be able to show up at my the training school I decided to switch to. However, he did try to message me about it and claim he would’ve stopped if I had just told him etc. We didn’t have any contact at shows or online for months until he tried to start messaging me more frequently again and tried to start a conversation over just about anything.
“I was so scared to speak up about this because I didn’t want to lose bookings, people not believing me or siding with him. It isn’t a nice feeling. During the time I was friends with Ligero it made me such a negative person because he had such an influence on me. I hate the person I was during that year and a half.”
Sykes noted in her Twitter caption that she came forward because she feels like she has nothing to lose.
“i am so unbelievably scared but i guess i have nothing to lose. thank you to those who have encouraged me to come forward,” Sykes wrote as a Twitter caption to the screenshots of her statement. She added, “i know to some this might not seem like much but i thought it was worth saying something. there is also stuff i’ve probably forgot to mention too but i think that covers it… probably gonna log off after this too”
Sykes also posted a screenshot from a message another wrestler sent her, who also accused Ligero of bad behavior. Sykes captioned the screenshot with, “Thank you to those who have reached out to me. Especially those who felt comfortable in sharing their own experiences too, you are not alone and I am here for anyone going through a similar situation #SpeakingOut”
NXT Superstar Pete Dunne, who is still stuck in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic, apparently reacted to the accusations against Ligero today and said he’s disgusted. He also said he hopes everyone can make British pro wrestling a better place.
“I’m disgusted by what I’m reading. Well done to those speaking out. I really hope we can make British wrestling a better place and keep everyone safe. This is a huge eye opener and let’s hope it will force a big change,” Dunne tweeted.
Ligero regularly tweets but he has not issued comments on the accusations. Stay tuned for updates.
You can see the related tweets from Sykes and Dunne below:
i am so unbelievably scared but i guess i have nothing to lose. thank you to those who have encouraged me to come forward 🖤 pic.twitter.com/P0AmpZWNp1
— Natalie Sykes (@NatalieSykes_) June 18, 2020
I’m disgusted by what I’m reading.
Well done to those speaking out. I really hope we can make British wrestling a better place and keep everyone safe.
This is a huge eye opener and let’s hope it will force a big change.
— Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) June 18, 2020
i know to some this might not seem like much but i thought it was worth saying something. there is also stuff i’ve probably forgot to mention too but i think that covers it… probably gonna log off after this too 🖤
— Natalie Sykes (@NatalieSykes_) June 18, 2020
Thank you to those who have reached out to me. Especially those who felt comfortable in sharing their own experiences too, you are not alone and I am here for anyone going through a similar situation #SpeakingOut pic.twitter.com/4ye3Wr7Pet
— Natalie Sykes (@NatalieSykes_) June 18, 2020
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