In 2023, Chris Jericho was accused of having “skeletons in his closet” related to the AEW exit of Kylie Rae.
Kylie Rae was the top female star in AEW when the company was founded in 2019. She was poised to become one of their top babyfaces, but left the company after one match, requesting her release.
Very little was revealed about her exit, and subsequent runs in TNA and NWA ended quickly for “Smiley” Kylie.
Tony Khan claimed the split was amicable, and on the AEW All Out 2019 post-show, said Rae had simply asked for her release and he had granted it.
However, accusations levied towards Chris Jericho could have shone light on Rae’s exit when they came to light in 2023.
In this article, we will go through all the evidence and sources to uncover the truth behind the supposed controversy between Chris Jericho and Kylie Rae.
This article compiles publicly available claims and coverage, focusing on the provable facts of the allegations.
Read More: Check out Chris Jericho’s first book “A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex” to learn the controversial story of the former WWE Champion in his own words.
Nick Hausman levied accusations against Chris Jericho and compared him to Harvey Weinstein
The first person to accuse Chris Jericho of any abuse was Haus of Wrestling founder Nick Hausman.
On December 26, 2023, Hausman went on a tirade about Jericho on an episode of the Rumor and Innuendo podcast.
He compared the former AEW Champion to Harvey Weinstein and called some of his behind-the-scenes actions “questionable”.
The Weinstein comparison clearly hinted at some sexual abuse allegations, as the former Hollywood giant was jailed for various sexual abuses.
This was after Jericho claimed on Twitter to never having signed an NDA, relating to the CM Punk/Brawl Out situation, to which Hausman mentioned potentially making other wrestlers sign NDAs – alluding to Kylie Rae.
“There are issues with Chris behind the scenes where I know a lot of people who were hurt by Chris and his actions.
“It’s very uncomfortable to me to see him lauded like he is and only having the focus on that because I do think there are a lot of questionable stories about Chris that will find their way out over time when people are ready to tell those stories that will cast him in a very different light.
“I mean, Harvey Weinstein won a lot of Oscars. Harvey Weinstein produced a lot of very popular films. Harvey Weinstein is now in jail … I’m not saying that is happening to Chris but the narrative can quickly turn if you’re hiding a lot of skeletons in your closet.”
The internet took this claim and ran with, even though there was no evidence and nobody linked with the supposed abuse Jericho seemed to have committed.
However, speculation was rife, especially when Kylie Rae liked a Tweet related to the claim. The former AEW star responded with a heart to a comment claiming Jericho was the reason she left.
The Tweet has been deleted, but a screenshot obscuring the users name was reposted by ISO Wrestling.
The backlash on Jericho was huge, although he did not miss any shows for AEW because of it. Tony Khan directly addressed the situation, claiming he did not respond to “internet rumours” and reiterated that AEW is one of the safest wrestling companies in the world.
“I can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors. I spoke earlier to Kevin and mentioned the policy we have in place and the disciplinary process.
“We’ve always followed that and I believe is the safest wrestling company in the world and we have the best track record for safety, and I would hold it up to anybody and anytime anybody has any kind of a complaint, they have an open door to say it to me or anyone in the office and we would look into it, anytime.”
In the weeks following, fans began to boo Jericho and even chanted for Kylie Rae during his matches. It could have turned into a huge issue, but the lack of evidence and seeming backtrack by Hausman saw the situation peter out.
Kylie Rae denied the rumours all the way back in 2020
If Kylie Rae was accusing Jericho in that moment, it goes against what she said years prior after leaving AEW.
In a now-deleted Instagram post from 2019, she addressed rumours that Chris Jericho, who was alleged to have invited her up to his hotel room by unverified, speculative sources, was the person who made her quit AEW.
She wrote in the caption:
“I don’t know how to start this and I can’t speak on others behalves. I can only speak for myself and what’s in my heart. I don’t know many rumors and honestly try to stay away from everything, obviously ?. But here: nobody made me leave.
“AEW took my career to new levels and I’m beyond grateful for every opportunity and experience that has come along the way and wish nothing but the best. It’s a great group of people who truly love wrestling and just want everyone to succeed.
“I’ve always tried to be a good person but I make many mistakes along the way. I needed to get my mind, body, and soul right with God. I wish I had the answers but the truth I don’t. We all go through obstacles in life and we may want all the answers but we don’t need them.
“It’s God’s plan and he has shown me what’s truly important in life and to find a blessing in every moment because in the blink of an eye, everything can be gone. So instead of bashing, let’s just love one another and appreciate what we have, or something like that lol sorry I’m awkward. ?❤️??”
Now, of course she could have simply been trying to get the attention off herself, not wanting to name one of the biggest names in the business to potentially get herself blacklisted from her profession.
However, we cannot assume thats what she’s doing, just as we cannot assume the random rumours about Jericho.
Reality vs Rumour – the facts of the case
The evidence of the case is entirely based on feelings; Hausman’s feeling that Jericho is a Weinstein-like figure, and the assumption that Rae’s “heart” Tweet was confirming that Jericho was responsible for some kind of abuse.
However, we have earlier statements from her that claim nobody made her leave the company and her exit was of her own accord.
Future exits from TNA and NWA show that her mental health and addition has become a big issue in her career, which she has admitted in numerous interviews.
Sexual abuse or assault is notorious difficult to prosecute due to the “he said/she said” nature of relationships.
However, there is no concrete evidence that anything ever went on between the pair and nothing to prove Chris Jericho did anything untoward the young star.
There is no proof of Chris Jericho doing what he’s accused of
From what we can tell, Hausman’s accusations are baseless and according to Rae’s own 2019 statement, Jericho had nothing to do with her AEW exit.
The whole situation arose from an internet rumour of somebody close to CM Punk who admitted he did not like Jericho, and was heavily involved in the post-Brawl Out reporting, something which Jericho was personally involved in.
Hausman’s accusations are biased and unreliable and there is no proof of Chris Jericho’s guilt in this situation.
If you’d like to explore Jericho’s journey in his own words, his first book A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex blends humor, grit, and behind‑the‑scenes insight into the industry. Pick up your copy here and support Verify Wrestling while diving deeper into one of wrestling’s most controversial careers.
