Charlotte Flair Pulled from Movie ‘Queen of the Ring’ by Vince McMahon

Louisville, Kentucky – Charlotte Flair was originally cast to play June Byers in the film “Queen of the Ring,” but she was removed from the project just days before filming began. The decision was reportedly made by Vince McMahon, who did not want Flair featured in a small indie film.

According to reports from the film’s Twitter account, WWE Studios had submitted Flair for the film, and she had been training with Emily Bett Rickards, who plays the lead role of Mildred Burke. The account stated, “Charlotte played a real part in training Emily for the role and we are forever grateful for her involvement.” However, McMahon allegedly pulled her out because he was unhappy with WWE talent working on independent films.

Kailey ‘Kamille‘ Latimer stepped in last minute to take on the role of Byers. The filmmakers praised her performance as stellar, noting that it was her first acting role. The account celebrated her as a “superstar” for delivering a remarkable performance and doing all her own stunts.

Director Ash Avildsen previously mentioned that getting Flair and other WWE talent secured for the film was challenging. He expressed frustration over the lack of communication with WWE, stating he struggled to get approval from them, and suggested McMahon was upset about talent missing WWE television for filming.

While “Queen of the Ring” tells the story of wrestling pioneer Mildred Burke, it has faced controversies, including issues with advertising and sponsorships allegedly blocked by WWE. Critics have given the film positive reviews, although it has grossed only $632,366 at the box office so far.

The film is now available for digital rental and purchase. The filmmakers have also started promoting the movie with the tagline, “the movie WWE doesn’t want you to see.”