Rhea Ripley has been one of WWE's top female stars for a while now, putting in some fantastic work on the main roster, NXT, and NXT UK before it folded. She's a hard-hitting wrestler who has showcased her quality inside the ring while also developing an exciting character that has evolved over time.

However, fans always want to know more about the Judgment Day star as she continues to enjoy a push by WWE. That includes info about her life away from the company as the WWE Universe is always looking to invest in the personality of a wrestler in and out of the ring.

UPDATE: 2024/03/26 20:00 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

Rhea Ripley is still relatively young at 27 years of age. However, she has risen in prominence so much in even just the past few months that she is up there with the biggest and best names in the WWE women’s division today. With her constantly increasing popularity, more fans will want to know about her, though there are only so many interviews at this point in her career where details of her life outside the business have been revealed. There are still new things being learned about Ripley though, from friends outside the ring to celebrity crushes to her life growing up.

Rhea Ripley's Real Name Outside The Ring

"Rhea Ripley" Is Just A Character Name

• Her real name is Demi Bennett
• She wrestled under her real name until 2017
• She became Rhea Ripley when she signed with WWE

Rhea Ripley is a very recognisable name in the professional wrestling world today, and it has led her to a lot of success. However, this isn’t her real name. Like most in WWE (aside from rare examples like John Cena and Brock Lesnar), she doesn’t wrestle with her actual name.

Outside of the ring, Ripley goes by Demi Bennett. She did wrestle with this name at the start of her career before changing it to Rhea Ripley.

Rhea Ripley's Music Taste Is Pretty Obvious

Taking One Look At Rhea Ripley And You'll Know Her Music Taste

• Rhea Ripley is into metal
• She is a fan of former WWE RAW theme band, Papa Roach
• Ripley uses her music taste as part of her entrance

Rhea Ripley comes out to the ring with heavy metal music, and this is influenced by her real-life music tastes. When speaking to Metal Injection, Ripley cited bands and artists such as Of Mice & Men, Papa Roach (who once were the voice of Monday Night Raw, as they provided the theme song for the show during the Ruthless Aggression era) Suicide Silence, and more.

It was also noted in the Metal Injection piece that Ripley’s signature stomp when she makes her entrance is a nod to Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence.

Rhea Ripley Has An Old School Celebrity Crush

Ripley Is A Big Fan Of Rocky

• Even celebrities have celebrity crushes
• Rhea Ripley has a soft spot for Sylvester Stallone
• Stallone is a Hollywood actor, famous for the Rocky franchise

Most people have a celebrity crush, and for Rhea Ripley it is Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. She spoke to Lillian Garcia on Chasing Glory and revealed her crush.

“Sylvester Stallone. Yeah, I've always loved Sylvester Stallone. I don't know why. I just love all the movies that he's in. I love him. I love everything. I don't know. Look at him. [He's got that nice and tough at the same time] Exactly. That's what I love.” (H/T Sportskeeda)

Rhea Ripley Trained In Multiple Sports As A Kid

Ripley Has Always Been Athletic

• Rhea Ripley pursued sports from a young age
• She was talented in multiple different areas
• She settled on professional wrestling as her sport of choice

Take one look at Ripley’s impressive athletic acumen and it's easy to imagine her being multi-talented from a sports perspective. Growing up, she excelled in multiple different sporting fields, literally and figuratively.

Those sports included soccer, karate, rugby, netball, and swimming. If she wanted to, she could have easily found herself thriving in other fields had she decided to follow a different path.

Rhea Ripley Is A Fan Of Adelaide FC

She Follows Australian Rules Football

• Rhea Ripley is a fan of both soccer and Australian Rules football
• She supports Adelaide FC
• This is Ripley's local team

As noted, Ripley played soccer among other things when she was younger, showing a penchant for many sports. Many professional wrestlers follow sports teams, and for Ripley, her biggest sporting love away from wrestling is Aussie rules football.

Growing up in Adelaide, Ripley gravitated towards supporting local side, Adelaide FC who play in the AFL. Australian rules football is a unique sport, mixing several different types of ball sport to create its own exciting and sometimes brutal game.

Rhea Ripley's Prior Relationship With Wrestler Demetri Jackson

Ripley Dated More Than One Pro Wrestler

• Many wrestlers date other wrestlers
• Rhea Ripley was in a relationship with wrestler Demetri Jackson
• They split five years ago

Still young, and focused on her wrestling career, Ripley is currently unmarried and doesn't have children. She has been in a relationship with another professional wrestler before she started to date Buddy Matthews, though.

That was when she shared her life with fellow professional wrestler, Demetri Jackson. They dated back in 2019, eventually splitting and going their separate ways.

Rhea Ripley Is Engaged To Buddy Matthews

WWE and AEW Crossover

• Buddy Matthews and Rhea Ripley met in WWE
• They got engaged in 2023
• Their relationship was revealed in 2022

Relationships between professional wrestlers have become commonplace over the years, with talents opting to stick together when it comes to being a couple. There are obvious benefits to that as they know exactly what the other is going through, as well as the politics of the business.

Rhea Ripley is someone who finds herself in a relationship with a wrestler, but not a member of the WWE roster. She's currently engaged to someone who works for AEW, and that someone is Buddy Matthews. Sorry to shatter the Dominik Mysterio illusion for anyone who thought Ripley really was Dom's mami.

Rhea Ripley Helps Malakai Black

Some More AEW X WWE Crossover

• Malakai Black has a clothing brand
• Black is in a faction with Ripley's fiancee
• Ripley helps out with Black's clothing brand

Another talent who has spent time working in AEW Ripley is close with is Malakai Black who just so happens to be in the House Of Black alongside Buddy Matthews. Black has launched his own clothing brand away from wrestling called Blxckmass Clothing, and Ripley helps him with that.

Whenever new items are released, Ripley takes pictures in them to model the clothes that fans can purchase. There are a few other wrestlers that get involved with that including Black's wife, and Ripley's close friend, Zelina Vega.

Rhea Ripley Shares A Friendship With Damian Priest

The Judgment Day Members Are Friends Outside The Ring

• Ripley and Priest were the first to join the Judgment Day
• Their friendship began before the faction
• Priest once had to borrow Ripley's in-ring gear

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley are both members of The Judgment Day faction alongside Finn Balor and Mysterio, but those two have a lot of chemistry together. Ripley and Priest always push each other inside the ring and with their promo work, probably because they are great friends outside of the ring.

This has been the case since their days in NXT, with the two of them creating a strong connection due to being like-minded people. It's something that continues to help them in WWE because they can bring that real-life chemistry to their work.

Rhea Ripley Has Matching Tattoos With Toni Storm

Ripley And Storm Have A Bond

• Toni Storm and Rhea Ripley grew in the business together
• They have a matching tattoo
• Toni Storm also has matching tattoos with Deonna Purrazzo

Ripley has worked with a lot of different wrestlers over the years, but one person that she has competed against a lot is Toni Storm. The two have worked all around the world against each other, putting on great matches that have helped push the two of them up the ranks in the business.

They have formed a great friendship throughout that time, getting to know each other a lot and they even have matching tattoos. On their wrists, Storm and Ripley have the date from the Evolution PPV in Roman numerals, showcasing the bond that they have together.

Toni Storm Also Inspired Ripley To Cut Her Hair

Ripley Cut Her Long Blonde Hair In WWE

• Rhea Ripley's look has transformed over the years in WWE
• Toni Storm pushed her to chop her hair
• Ripley now has an iconic look

Rhea Ripley is easily one of most visually striking female wrestlers in WWE history. That wasn't always the case however as in her first WWE appearance, she had traditional long blonde hair seen on many a WWE performer. However, it was thanks to former AEW Women's Champion Toni Storm that Ripley was sent on her path of various hairstyle changes.

Matching tattoos isn't the only way fellow Aussie Toni Storm has inspired a change in Ripley's appearance. When the NXT UK Women's division was built on the back of their rivalry, Ripley decided the two of them looked too similar due to them both having long, blonde hair. Ripley looked very different when she first signed with WWE. Making herself stand out when standing across the ring from Storm was the first step towards becoming the wrestler she is today, one that is far closer to her real-life persona as is evident from a few of the other entries on this list.

Rhea Ripley Has An Interesting Wrestling Inspiration

Ripley Loves The Miz

• Ripley was a childhood fan of The Miz
• The Miz was a prominent tag team, midcard, and main eventer in Ripley's youth
• They are now on the same roster

When Rhea Ripley was growing up she watched a lot of WWE, an interest that ultimately led to her pursuing a career in wrestling and signing with WWE herself. Much like any fan, she had her favorites, and one of Ripley's faves may well surprise you.

Normally people choose the top babyface names, simply because they're pushed to be the most likable, but that wasn't the case when it came to Ripley. She grew up as a big fan of The Miz, which is something that would likely catch most people by surprise but may explain why she's such a good heel. Clearly the very loud, obnoxious and hated Miz made a big impression on the beloved goth Mami.

Rhea Ripley Is A Dragon Ball Z Fan

Ripley Is A Fan Of Anime

• Many wrestlers have gear inspired by movie/TV
• Ripley's WrestleMania 36 attire was Vegeta inspired
• She is a fan of Dragon Ball Z outside of the ring

Wrestlers are often interested in different aspects of pop culture when it comes to television and movies, and the world of anime is a popular genre amongst a lot of professional wrestlers. That list includes Ripley who is particularly interested in Dragon Ball Z.

She enjoys the show so much that at WrestleMania 36 she decided to cosplay as Vegeta, wearing ring gear inspired by the character's attire. It was a subtle nod that only fans of the show would have picked up on, but it's something she genuinely loves.

Rhea Ripley Is An Animal Lover

Ripley Has A Soft Spot For Animals

• Rhea Ripley has pet dogs
• Life on the road makes it hard to have pets
• Ripley posts her dogs in her social media

Something else that wrestling fans should know about Ripley is she's a big animal lover, with the former Raw Women's Champion having several dogs of her own. This is something that instantly makes her more relatable to the WWE Universe as countless fans also have pets.

It's the type of character trait that can't be portrayed easily in professional wrestling unless she is given a mascot which is a rarity in the business. However, it is a big aspect of her life outside of the ring which showcases a different side of her as a person.

Rhea Ripley Has A Close Friendship With Zelina Vega

Rivals On-Screen But Friends Off-Screen

• Ripley is friends with Zelina Vega
• They spend time on the road together
• They had a match at Backlash 2023

Friendships in professional wrestling away from the ring are crucial due to how much time the wrestlers spend on the road traveling and working. A lot of fans like to learn about the different bonds wrestlers make, and while some are very famous, the one between Ripley and Vega isn't so much.

The two of them are very close friends, often spending time together away from the ring during their downtime. They can be found together on the road with their friendship no doubt playing a big part in helping them enjoy life in the business.

Rhea Ripley Has Dealt With Difficult Times

It Hasn't Always Been Easy

• Ripley is a badass inside and outside the ring
• Like most, she has been through ups and downs
• Ripley has been public about her struggles

Ripley might be a top WWE Superstar who is enjoying working at the height of the industry she loves, but her life hasn't always been a walk in the park. The Judgment Day star has been very open about the fact she's dealt with depression and self-harm throughout her life.

The fact she has been able to overcome difficulties in her life showcases her strength in character, and it is a situation that a lot of people could likely relate to. Ripley is likely an inspirational figure to those dealing with the same issues.

Rhea Ripley Has Had Some Difficult Injuries

Professional Wrestling Is A Tough Sport

• Ripley has had injuries even during her time on top
• Ripley needed a heart monitor
• Ripley is back in a full-time role in WWE

There was a period recently while with The Judgment Day where Ripley was taken off television, not competing for a long time. What fans didn't realize is that she was dealing with some serious injuries at that point, teeth and brain problems causing her issues.

This led to her having a temporary heart monitor fitted, a situation she had to show patience with to work through to make her return to the ring. Fortunately she has been able to fight through those problems and is back wrestling full-time.

Rhea Ripley Can Bench Press 185 Pounds

Ripley Is A Strong Person

• Rhea Ripley is one of WWE's most impressive stars
• She has a larger physique than most
• She can bench press an impressive weight

Rhea Ripley is one of the bigger and more muscular women in WWE's women's division, even having her physique compared to Hall of Famer Chyna's in the past. Somewhat surprising even to herself as Ripley admitted she doesn't think she eats enough to be as muscly as she is.

The Nightmare clearly puts the work in at the gym, though. Ripley revealed on Instagram that she's capable of bench pressing 185 pounds. No, that's not quite strong enough to lift Sheamus, but she is very close to being able to bench-press her Judgment Day buddy, Finn Balor.