Last week, after seven years with WWE, Lacey Evans, real name Macey Estrella, wrapped up her time with the promotion. Wrestling Observer reports that Estrella chose to let her contract with the company expire, so she was not released and does not have any kind of non-compete clause in place. Unlike other former WWE talents who hit the free agency market and try to find work in the business elsewhere, Estrella looks to be spending time away from pro wrestling in favor of opening a cafe’, and spending time with family.
In an exclusive interview with The Island Times, Estrella gave her first comments in regard to exiting WWE.
“I thought I could be of more assistance fighting a different fight than in the WWE ring,” she said. “I want to focus on helping my community to fight against addiction and fight on the mental health side to normalize mental health issues.”
The article described Estrella losing her father while serving in the Marine Corps and how he dealt with mental health issues, along with substance abuse problems, leading up to his passing. Her new endeavor, the Sunny Summers Cafe’, plans to open its doors to AA meetings and will provide coffee and donuts to those who participate. She also plans to hold seminars for spouses of military members looking to further their careers while their loved one serves.
“I wanted to create a space where people could come in and unplug from their devices, but also unplug from their minds as well,” Estrella opined. “The cellphone has replaced your computer. The cellphone has replaced your camera. Don’t let it replace your family.”
It was noted that Estrella’s WWE contract officially expired at midnight on Tuesday, August 15. Despite parting ways, she will embrace her time in the promotion with memorabilia from her career showcased for patrons. Sunny Summers Cafe’ held its grand opening earlier today and is now open for business.