Exclusive: Maria Kanellis on Her New Album, Apprentice, Divas Division Frustrations & Much More

Posted by Melanie on April 14th, 2010
Categories: Headlines, Interviews

With her debut EP, ‘Sevin Sins’ now available on iTunes, we caught up with former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis to discuss her foray into music and a host of other topics. Despite being released in February, it’s been all systems go for Kanellis with her album, ‘Apprentice’ and a new career in MMA as a backstage correspondent for HDNet’s King of the Cage.

In this 50 minute interview, Maria discusses ‘Sevin Sins’, her current stint on ‘Apprentice’, how she got her role on the King of the Cage broadcast team and much more. However, the main themes raised in this interview center around Maria’s time in the WWE and her run as a Diva. Maria reveals her frustrations towards the way the Divas are treated, the ideas that she had for her character, her thoughts on the ‘Piggie James’ storyline, who she thinks are the up and comers in the division, WWE not utilising some of the more experienced Divas, plus much more.

Maria was very open and honest, so if you are a Diva fan, you don’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind insight into the Divas division.

To listen to the interview directly on the website, just click on the play button below. You can also download it in MP3 format straight to your computer by right-clicking here and choosing ‘Save Target As’. File size: 11.2mb.

Please Note: This audio is the exclusive content of Diva Dirt (diva-dirt.com), for which we hold copyright. By downloading our audio you agree not to repost or transcribe the content elsewhere including but not limited to other websites, blogs or message boards. Failure to respect copyright will result in legal action.

To purchase Maria’s album, Sevin Sins click here. Visit Maria’s official website at MariaKanellis.net and follow her on Twitter at @MariaLKanellis.


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72 ResponsesLeave a comment
  • Traylon Noble
    April 14, 2010 at 11:22 pm

    The more I hear from Maria the more I don’t like her. The only good thing she said in this interview is that the divas do not get enough time but yes we all know this already. Maria actually listened to herself tell that storyline and thought it was a good idea? To quote the Miz, “Really?! REALLY?!” She seems like she would be a perfect fit in TNA with that kind of crap.

    She also talked bad about Melina, that’s a no no. Sounds more like she is jealous of Melina than anything else. The more I hear from her the more I am glad the CM Punk is no where near her anymore. That man is now safe. At least she admits that she is garbage in the ring and after she moved from being the ditzy backstage interviewer no one cared about her or her tacky fashion except for comedy relief of course. Its ironic that she praises Michelle seeing as they have both been with WWE for the same amount of time yet Michelle has actually caught on how to be a decent wrestler.

    (>_<) /rant

  • Goodnightddtmnm
    April 14, 2010 at 11:29 pm

    Maria was very honest in this interview! I wish her all great things in her future..

    Does it matter who gets along , what matters is not all these divas got along..If I was Melina nd I saw a diva trying to do one of my moves then HELL YEAH! Im going to say thats my move. Im pretty sure Mickie or Beth woudnt be comfertable with someone else doing the Glamslam & Mickie-DT in the ring..Its not that Melina was being a bitch…its the fact that she was owing up to her moves taking credit where its was due

  • Goodnightddtmnm
    April 14, 2010 at 11:32 pm

    OH yes and I have to comment on how she praised Michelle , its very ironic how she just took small jabes at Melina….saying Michelle she get the credit…or whatever she said..either way both diva should get 100% credit b cuz they put on awesome matches and worked hard putting them together

  • LaceyVonErichFan
    April 14, 2010 at 11:44 pm

    Melinaa isnt bitchy at all she is super nice i met her last summer and she didnt sound bitchy she was smiling and laughing the whole timee, thts how she acted when WWE made her tht character in her very first debut and also her smile isnt fake its real! people just dont have life’s these days but call talented people things like B****,F***,Slut,Fake,etc. I dislike divas like Eve,Maryse,Michelle,Mickie, and Jillian But i dont go around calling them blah blah i just says things tht i dont like about them like maryse yeah she cnt wrestle so good, eve is not ready for the belt, mickie i disliked her from the beginning so yeah, michelle is a boring champion, jillian is not really needed in the WWE so idc about her.

  • TheHartDynasty
    April 15, 2010 at 12:46 am

    Congratulations Diva Dirt on this amazing interview. The more i hear from Maria the more i love her. She seems like such a sweet girl, it was kind of funny how she said that her and Mickie used to be close friends but now they are not and she doesn’t know why. I love how she praised Michelle and what she said was honest Michelle could be the best wrestler ever if she got those 10 minutes every week like Randy Orton or John Cena so true it kind of does suck. Now lets try to get an interview with Michelle McCool hehehe

  • TheHartDynasty
    April 15, 2010 at 1:19 am

    Wow saw some tweets from Melina about this interview, Maria is just being honest and Truthful and if Melina takes that the wrong way then to bad for her. Just like most of you say Maria doesn’t hold back she is honest and Really Melina has dealt with her deal of DRAMA in the past look @ her and Candice and that little Bitchy fest they had back in the Day. I don’t know Melina personally but from what i see in interviews and television she does look kind of Fake, and if she takes what Maria said the wrong way that’s her problem and really does she need to TWEET wish you would tell the truth what is she a 16 or 30, I fell that Divas Like Mickie and Melina who have ultimately been there the longest basically get this sense of pride and think there the shizz because there veterans, so like Melina, a veteran would get mad at a diva and say that’s my move. I think Melina is just jealous of Maria because she is doing something other then wrestling. I new that i liked Michelle McCool for a good reason, someone who has been with Michelle these past two years has stated Michelle can hold the female division and its so true. I cannot praise Michelle anymore gawsh she is my IDOL heheh

  • LaceyVonErichFan
    April 15, 2010 at 2:39 am

    @TheHartDynasty Nahh melina doesnt have to be jealous of “Maria” as you should say who cares if maria has something else to do than wrestle so what. maria really never had a SHINE in WWE even though they tried to make her look good but we all knew she stunk and melina was just saying what she wanted to say on her twitter its called freedom of speech. at least melina practiced so hard to get where she is now unlike maria would probaly say “ahh nahh ill practice maybe hour a day and get myself in the ring and look hot” melina actually wrestled and dreamed to get in a Cage and do a “I Quit Match” not maria nah all she does is walk around in a bikini she may be pretty and sing nd be a sweet girl but she’s not a Romodel tht parents wants there kids seeing my aunt told my cousin tht too. so all im saying is people shouldnt call Melina Fake because apparently your blind sided or you dont know what the meaning fake is.

  • LaceyVonErichFan
    April 15, 2010 at 2:44 am

    and yeah i would act the same way melina did if i made a move up and saw someone use it i would frida march all over there face ;] and plus as i said before maria is the kind of sweet inocent grl but she didnt train as hard as melina did to make up her own move nd tbh, maria may have said she tried really hard but from what i see in the ring she doesnt really try.

  • LaceyVonErichFan
    April 15, 2010 at 2:51 am

    i knew i hated maria from when she first debuted in tht diva search, the only diva search girls tht i say tried in WWE were candice,eve and christy and ashley. and plus i know this is like my 4th comment but i just want to prove a point tht melina is the sweet kind girl not the fake girl. maria started this with her talking bad about melina maybe next time the socalled redhead would shut her mouth and talk about important things like how the divas are being treated right now, maria is the one jealous of melina because she never got a belt or tht she was released, i thought i was going to be happy about this interview but my mind changed the minute she talked bad about melina.

  • Kaledrina
    April 15, 2010 at 3:20 am

    ^ you’re hating on maria. surely maria’s allowed to hate on melina, then? especially as they knew each other personally.

    it would be delusional to think that everybody gets on with everybody else. i’d take a guess at if maria wasn’t as open and honest as she was in this interview, she’d be getting people telling her she was a fake, unhappy person and is really a meanie head or something. she just can’t win.

  • Lee
    April 15, 2010 at 3:24 am

    Sorry, but I have trouble reading an entire statement of anyone whose name is laceyvonerichfan.

    ;) just kidding. all love here on my part, no matter how mean you are.

  • mr_socko
    April 15, 2010 at 3:54 am

    Great interview from Maria – love her :)

  • LaceyVonErichFan
    April 15, 2010 at 3:59 am

    ^^ so what my name is laceyvonerichfan doesnt mean anything on my part, at least lacey went to train at the indies and perosnally how am i being mean its called proving a point. @Kaledrina personally im not hating maria i DISLIKE her and all i was doing was defending melina becuase almost everyone called her fake and she isnt because maria really was the one who had to run her mouth and say tht about melina, maria was honest in the video but the only thing people agreed was tht ” the divas are being treated awful” thts why everyone is lubby lubby with her but im not buying it even though its true and perosnally im not a fan of melina either, but i rather be on melina’s side for this one. and my mind has so changed for maria to debut in TNA soon in the future as a interviewer or something but nah hope she just stays in shimmer.

  • Lady Sheamus
    April 15, 2010 at 5:30 am

    If Melina is fake then she sure is working her butt off at it cause that girl is the freakin’ Tweet queen with all the back and forth with the fans she does. Anyone WWE Superstar/Diva that tweets Lady Sheamus is a cool bag of beans, or at least somewhat cool. :P Some people’r always trying to interpret negativity that sometimes (let’s accept it) is not truly there. lol

  • Lady Sheamus
    April 15, 2010 at 5:40 am

    I agree w/Mikas – WWE can’t have midcarders and Divas with better skills than the established stars stealing the show.

    And this is not to be rude to Maria, but with regard to women and objectification (not quoting her), I just cannot for the life of me make the equation: Playboy modeling = strong woman. And I think one objectification is an objectification is an objectification, no matter the output. I am not that kind of feminist who finds it empowering (or a feminist in general). This is just what I think.

  • alvarado509
    April 15, 2010 at 6:45 am

    Maria seems a little bitchy!!! I like her, but when she talked about Melina, huh I think she was just jealous of her!!! I mean Selita Ebanks even warned us about Maria!!!

  • Juan
    April 15, 2010 at 7:07 am

    wow i love this site. great interview. i found the whole Melina/Maria thing intresting (i wonder who else dont get along lol). wtf NOC match was too devestating?!??! seriously man thats jvst dumb…i want more matches like that!!

  • Lee
    April 15, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    @Lady Sheamus there is nothing wrong with being a feminist silly. PS love the gravatar.

  • Mikas
    April 15, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    “i wonder who else dont get along lol”

    Easy to figure out. Just see who talks with who on twitter. You will find some divas who talk to eachother constantly, and some who never talk to eachother (or even follow eachother) ;-) Naturally thats not 100% accurate, but when 2 divas on the same brand have been active on twitter for over a year and dont even follow eachother, thats usually a good sign who gets along with who.

  • sugarrush28
    April 15, 2010 at 6:49 pm

    I Honestly don’t know why people are calling Maria or Melina a bitch just because they might not get along. Just because they might not click doesn’t mean either of them are mean. Some people get along and some don’t simple as that.

  • art1e
    April 15, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    can this girl be anymore me me me me like she didnt train to be a wrestler like michelle & train,eve & layla are way better then she ever was & i didnt hear what she said bout candice,But melina is awesome so i dont care what maria said bout her since maria isnt in her league…

    yes the divas the raw ones anyway need time since none get to show any moves or one or two & that is bad…..

    i dont think it matters where they the girls come from its the effort they put in too become wrestlers & love what they do & dont do it like maria for a paycheck……

  • ChaCha
    April 16, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    I just listened to this again and…yeah, my first opinion of Maria still stands: I don’t like her.

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