Earlier this week, WWE shared the names of superstars from the company who are scheduled to appear at next month’s UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest event taking place on the South Lawn of the White House.
The stars announced by Michael Cole on May 18th episode of Raw were Chelsea Green, Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breaker.
The newsworthiness of WWE’s involvement in the event could make one think the company would prepare its stars for the announcement. Not
so, said Charlotte Flair, who indicated she didn’t even know she was supposed to be at the event until she saw an announcement on social media.
Flair made these comments while speaking to TMZ’s Inside The Ring during a new interview.
“So, this is big, and maybe you can confirm it,” host Branson Quirke asked Flair. “It was announced that you’ll be at the Freedom 250 Fan Fest this June on the White House lawn.”
“I just saw the announcement online,” Flair answered, adding she only knew she had a signing scheduled for that day before seeing the schedule for UFC Freedom 250. “I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m in a UFC fight. Great.’”
“Politics aside, what is it like for you personally representing WWE at something as big as the White House in America? It’s a big deal,” Quirke asked.
“I saw online, and then I was like, ‘Well, I guess I won’t be wearing my queen outfit that I had,’” Flair said. “I had my spray-painted and bedazzled outfit that I was going to wear to the signing, because it was just a signing.”
She continued: “Then it said White House signing, and I’m like, ‘So, are we going to the White House?’”
“Regardless, you know, you have to outdress Melania [Trump,” Quirke said jokingly. “You may have to wear the outfit.”
Charlotte replied: “No, but I really did not know what we were doing until I saw it on Twitter. I was like, ‘Oh, oh yeah.’ I guess my thoughts changed a little of what I had planned for the weekend.”
While Charlotte may have been personally surprised to find herself included in the event, many WWE fans were surprised and disappointed by Chelsea Green’s inclusion.
Green has long been viewed as one of more progressively-minded wrestlers on WWE’s roster, and she faced immediate backlash over the event due to Trump administration policies that critics say adversely effects groups such as the LGBTQ+ community.
The criticism resulted in Chelsea defending her appearance in a message she posted on X (Twitter).
“Doing my job and supporting the community are not mutually exclusive,” Green wrote. “I’ll continue to do what I can to advocate for human rights whether you approve or not.”
What do you think about WWE not directly informing Charlotte that she was appearing at the White House event? And what are your thoughts in general on UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest? Let us know in the comments.
