Add as a preferred source on Google Willow Nightingale, who challenges Thekla for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Redemption, has revealed a personal struggle to fans. Nightingale said she believes she has been depressed for about a year.
Speaking during Countdown to AEW Redemption, Nightingale explained that the pressure of constantly playing the smiling, upbeat version of herself has made the past year even harder.
She said she’s had to “strap a smile on” and keep going despite everything it’s taken out of her, adding that her schedule has meant missing family birthdays and weddings along the way. She said she doesn’t see herself as any more deserving of her opportunities than anyone else — she’s simply in position to take them, and doing so is what makes a champion.
The revelation adds new context to how Nightingale has built her on-screen persona. In 2023, she acknowledged that her upbeat character couldn’t stay happy forever. She returned to the subject in May, explaining that she isn’t a one-dimensional person who smiles all the time.
The past few months have also been difficult in the ring. A shoulder injury suffered against Red Velvet in May forced Nightingale to withdraw from the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and vacate the AEW TBS Championship after a 140-day reign and 10 successful defenses.
Nightingale made her return on the July 8 episode of Dynamite, billed as Beach Break. She entered the Casino Gauntlet Match as the eighth entrant and won, earning her fourth shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship.