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Zelina Vega Released from Contract by WWE
November 13, 2020
WWE announced Friday it released Zelina Vega.ย
According to a WWE spokesman, Vegas was released for breaching her contract. Shortly after her release, she expressed public support for unionization:
Vega also responded to a tweet from former colleague Paige, who said in October she "learned a lot about unionism today."
Paige's comment came as WWE started prohibiting its in-ring talent from running their own accounts through third-party sites such as YouTube and Twitch. Some stars have built large followings for themselves independent from what they've done on WWE programming.
Vega appeared to try a workaround by setting up an account on OnlyFans.
For critics of WWE, the company's crackdown about third-party sites was another example of how it exerts significant influence over its performers despite those performers being independent contractors. HBO's John Oliver made it a topic of discussion on Last Week Tonight in 2019.
Even assuming it played no role in WWE letting Vega go, her release will likely fuel what has been a longstanding debate.
The 29-year-old initially had a limited on-screen role, serving as Andrade's manager in NXT and continued to do so following his move to the main roster.
More recently, she branched off into a singles career of her own. Vega unsuccessfully challenged Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship at Clash of Champions in September.