Q&A with Rosa Mendes: WWE Diva & Star of E!’s ‘Total Divas’

WWE Diva Rosa Mendes sits down with us to talk about adjusting to her new role on E!’s ‘Total Divas’, her relationships with her fellow co-stars & more.

Everyone’s favorite Divas are back!

This Sunday E!’s hit reality series Total Divas returns for its third season which promises to bring fans more drama than ever before. When season three kicks off this Sunday, fans will notice a new face among the cast as veteran Diva Rosa Mendes joins fellow Divas Brie Bella, Cameron, Eva Marie, Naomi, Natalya, Nikiki Bella, Summer Rae for “the most explosive season yet.”

After a year and a half away from the WWE, Rosa is back, stronger than ever and ready to take advantage of the new opportunities coming her way.

Ahead of Sunday’s  season three premiere, we had the chance to speak with Rosa about what fans can expect from her this season, how she is adjusting to her new role on Total Divas, her relationships with her fellow Total Divas co-stars, and her ongoing search for the perfect man.

Hidden Remote: How did you come to be the newest addition to Total Divas cast? 

Rosa Mendes: Well, you know I’ve been off for about a year and a half dealing with some personal issues. I’ve been in the business for about eight years, so I didn’t expect it and it came out of the blue. To be cast on Total Divas is a big promotion, its a really big deal. I don’t think the other Divas expected me to not only come back, but  to come back as a Total Diva, so it kind of threw everyone off guard. Not only that, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life. So it was like, I get back in the locker room; I’m on Total Divas; I’m looking the best I’ve ever looked and it kind of threw everyone off.

I feel so grateful and blessed that I got this opportunity. [Total Divas is] going to open a lot of doors for me and I’m really excited.

Hidden Remote: As a WWE Diva, one of your many job requirements is creating and embodying a larger than life television persona. In what ways is the real Rosa Mendes different from the one fans see in the WWE? 

Rosa: I’m very animated and I’m very vocal about how I feel all the time, I’m an open book. I love the fact that people get to see that I’m a human being too and I go through real life struggles, that I go through ups and downs. I think they’re going to like the fact that I’m not bashing anyone behind their back. When I have a problem with someone I tell them to their face and whether its a confrontation or not I like to deal with the situation. I think the WWE Universe is really going to appreciate that side of me.

Hidden Remote: What has been the most difficult aspect of filming Total Divas? 

Rosa: I think the most difficult aspect is that I’ve known everyone for a really long time – like I said I’ve been in the business for eight years. For the past year and a half I had some personal issues and I expected the Divas to be supportive and welcoming.  I didn’t expect them to be jealous, and not be happy for me. I’m getting a lot more opportunities now. I’ve always been happy for them when they got opportunities, but now that I’m getting new opportunities some of them are not happy for me and that kind of hurt my feelings.

I’m an open book and I love the attention, so the cameras don’t bother me at all. All the skeletons are coming outside of the closet, but I’m Rosa and I’m myself so that doesn’t bother me. What did bother me and was the real life struggle was the fact that some of the girls didn’t welcome me, that was hurtful.

Hidden Remote: Each Diva on the show brings a unique aspect of their life to the series, what will Rosa Mendes be bringing to the table this season? 

Rosa: I’m an open book. All of the skeletons will be outside of the closet, I’m not holding anything back. What you see is what you get. When I’m feeling something, I say it; if I want to walk around naked I’m going to walk around naked. You’re going to see the real Rosa Mendes and I’m really, really excited for the WWE Universe and fans of Total Divas to see that side of me.

Hidden Remote: From family drama to relationship ups and downs, Total Divas has featured its share of drama throughout its first two seasons. Are you ready for the world to see what goes on in your life when the WWE cameras stop rolling. 

Rosa: My real life struggles were really serious and I’m telling the world about my story and I don’t know how people are going to take that. Being an open book like that, being honest with myself and now having the cameras there, whether its going to have people look at me differently I don’t really care. Being out there, saying the truth and being honest has helped me a lot so we’ll see what happens. I am really nervous to see how people react to my story.

Hidden Remote: In the season three promo, you share a lot of screen time with fellow Canadian Diva Natalya. How would you describe your relationship with Natalya? 

Rosa: Natalya and I have always been pretty close, she’s like a big sister to me. When I was going through my personal issues she was there for me and she’s been there for me through a lot of hard times. I’ve always gone to her for everything and she’s helped me in the ring as well. She’s helping me get comfortable in the locker room and get adjusted to the road, and I really appreciate having her as a friend.

Hidden Remote: And what about your relationship with the rest of the cast? Is there any tension between you and any certain Diva?

Rosa: Well yeah, I mean I expected everyone to be welcoming to me. They know I went through some hard stuff, so I expected everyone to be supportive. I came back and I didn’t get that from everybody. It kind of sucked, but you know I have people who are my friends, I’m not by myself. I was just really surprised by some of the girls.

Hidden Remote: Can you give us any details as to what fans can expect to see unfold this season on Total Divas? 

Rosa: There’s going to be confrontations and there’s going to be some real life experiences that they’re going to watch.

Also, I’m looking for a husband. I’m single and I’m not looking to just date; I’m looking for a husband; I’m looking for the one, so they’re going to see that as well. I have a message to everyone out there: If you think that I’m the right woman for you, they feel that they can be the one for me, feel free to come up to me and ask me out. If you don’t mind the cameras, that’s cool too.

Hidden Remote: Who is the one Diva, past or present, that you would love to have the opportunity to compete against in the ring? 

Rosa I would love to work with Trish Stratus! She’s a mom now, but she’s in amazing shape and I know that she can still bring it in the ring. I know that wrestling her would be an amazing experience and I would probably learn a lot from it so that would be a dream come true.

Hidden Remote: Before we go, is there anything else you want to tell our readers?

Rosa: I just want everyone to tune in on Sunday. I’m different from the other Divas, and they’re going to see a new side of me outside the ring and I’m really excited for them to get to know me personally. Please tune in, please watch this Sunday at 9 pm. Eastern Standard Time, I’m really excited about [the season three premiere]!

Make sure to catch Rosa’s Total Divas debut Sunday, September 7 a6 9/8c on E! and don’t forget to follow Rosa on Twitter @LaRosaMendes.