Just days after making her WrestleMania debut, a report emerged about rising WWE star Rhea Ripley being forced to return home to Australia due to work visa issues. However, the former NXT Women's Champion claims that's not the case.Ripley, 23, posted a video on her Instagram page showing that she was still in the United States. Her alleged absence was first reported by PW Insider, which said she had returned home and was being pulled off television indefinitely because of the visa issues.
According to PW Insider, Ripley was going to have to renew her visa before returning to the United States for TV tapings. All three WWE brands -- Raw, SmackDown and NXT -- will begin filming episodes for their respective shows in the coming days and the blossoming Aussie wasn't expected to make it back in time. But none of this appears to be the case now on account of her still being in the United States.
Ripley lost her NXT title during the two-night WrestleMania to Charlotte Flair. Most fans and insiders thought Ripley would defeat Flair, but it now appears that her visa dilemma may have caused WWE to change their plans.
While Ripley could still be taken off television, it doesn't look like she's going back to Australia anytime soon. International travel has been heavily affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has sparked numerous restrictions. If Ripley were to go back, it's unclear how long she'd be gone or whether the US Government would allow her to return.
(via Cageside Seats)