Jake Atlas is open about his sexuality, and he wanted to make it part of his character in WWE. While speaking to "Developmentally Speaking," the former "NXT" alum recalled management wanting to position him as a top babyface and asking how he wanted to present his character. Atlas chose to film vignettes in Orlando's Pulse nightclub to honor the victims of the shooting in 2016, hoping to become a role model to other LGBTQ people. However, Paul "Triple H" Levesque shut down the idea after seeing the vignettes.
"I remember having a conversation as I'm gonna have my first match in the tournament, so this is after I filmed the vignettes and everything, and Triple H talking to me and saying, basically saying like, 'Your sexuality doesn't matter here.' He didn't say it in a negative way, but I think for someone who has struggled with identity and sexuality their whole lives, I think no matter how you say it, no matter what you say, it's going to affect me. I think that really shot me down, and I didn't know...well, if that has been my message and my strength up to this point, I don't know who to be or who you want me to be if it's not this. So, I think that was just a huge struggle from that point on."
Atlas added that there wasn't a lot of thought or direction put into his character afterward, and he ended up floundering in "NXT" as a result. Atlas was released from his WWE deal in 2021, and he went on to have a short stint in AEW before being let go after being deemed the aggressor in a domestic dispute by the authorities. He's been on a hiatus from the wrestling business since then, though he is open to returning if the situation feels right.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Developmentally Speaking" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
