From Wrestling Star To Jail, The Dramatic Story Of The WWE’s Sunny

WWE/WWF Diva Sunny was once very successful, but her story eventually led to jail. So what happened to Sunny once she left the pro wrestling circuit?

Fan Favorite Sunny

In the middle of the nineties, Sunny was one of the most popular characters in the WWE. The wrestler had incredible success with the fanbase, especially with male fans. 

Sunny, aka Tammy Lee Sytch, is seen by many as the first Diva in the WWE. During her time, she managed many successful teams in the business. 

She eventually moved on to commentating and hosting on the network. In the end, she even became the most downloaded woman of the year. 

Pro Wrestling Illustrated also recognized Sunny’s success. In fact, she was eventually named as Manager of the Year.

When the WWE (back then WWF) became a huge mainstream success, Sunny immediately became a huge star. Unfortunately, Sunny’s story did not remain a good one.

Sunny left the company in 1998. However, she was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Her Indie Career

WWE’s Sunny story took a strange turn when she left the WWE. At first, it appeared she was going to stay in the wrestling industry.

After leaving WWE in 1998, she moved to Extreme Championship Wrestling. However, she only stayed with the promotion for a year.

At the time, there were lots of rumors about Sunny having a drug problem. There were even rumors she was found passed out in a locker room.

In December of 1999, Sunny left the promotion and moved to World Championship Wrestling and the independent circuit as a whole.

Since leaving WWE, she has made sporadic WWE appearances. However, a return now is unlikely considering the scandals that followed her these past few years.

Adult Industry Career

Tammy Lee Sytch has always been a favorite among male fans. Needless to say, the wrestler attempted to capitalize on that reputation.

In 1999, Sunny claimed Playboy offered her six figures to pose for the magazine. However, she stated she declined the offer.

Sunny would pose for an adult magazine after leaving WWE. She posed for Missy Hyatt’s from 2001 to 2003.

Sytch eventually claimed she regretted posing for the website. She also claimed she never received any money for doing so.

Tammy Lynn Sytch also appeared in an adult film in 2016. 

From Wrestler To Jail, Sunny’s Downfall

WWE Sunny encountered a number of legal issues over the years, and eventually landed her in jail. 

In 2012 Tammy Lynn Sytch was arrested five times over a period of four weeks. Charges included disorderly conduct, third-degree burglary, and violation of a protective order. 

Early 2013, Tammy Lynn Sytch was arrested again for violating a protective order. This landed her in jail for 114 days.

Many believed this would be the end of her jail problems. Unfortunately, this was far from the end for Sunny.

In 2015, the police arrested Sytch three times for driving under the influence. She eventually went to court and pleaded guilty to the main charges.

Sunny admitted in 2016 she was blackout drunk during her arrests. She referred to it as the worst relapse of her lift.

When Sunny violated her parole, she ended up in jail again. She also received a fine for additional charges.

Further Legal Problems

Sunny’s legal problems continued these past few years. Only a year after her release in 2017, she was charged again.

She was arrested in New Jersey for DUIs on January 23rd and February 2nd. In addition to that, another charge was added for fleeing the scene of an accident.

Sunny did not show up for court at the end of February. This led her to accrue two more fugitive charges and a failure to appear in court.

She was eventually extradited to Pennsylvania after it was found she was a fugitive. Sunny was paroled on October in 2018.

Sunny got another bench warrant against her in February 2019. During this time, the court asked to revoke her parole. 

The court sought to revoke her parole due to missing payments for the state’s legal costs. Barely a week later, she was arrested again for a DUI.

As the court found Sytch had more warrants against her, the court decided to put her back in prison. Sytch was released in February 2020.

A few months later, Sytch was arrested again. Charges included eluding a police officer, violation of a restraining order, and operating a vehicle under license suspension. 

Tammy Lynn Sytch is currently held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.

Unlikely To Return

It is extremely unlikely Sunny will ever return. There are numerous reasons for that.

First, Sunny has numerous criminal charges. Of course, she is not the only one with charges in the company.

Sunny has been in and out of jail for the past five years. The WWE probably does not want to be associated with that.

Sytch has also been quite vocal about other female wrestlers. Not too long ago, she went for Candice LeRae and Bayley.

The relationship between Sunny and the WWE is most definitely broken. But that also goes for the current stars on the roster.

Of course, never say never. A return could happen if she turns her life around.

Jail does not seem a deterrent for Sunny though. In fact, she’s been incarcerated numerous times.

Maybe this is the last time for Sunny? It all depends if she gets the help she needs.

She is not the first superstar to struggle with addiction. And she most definitely won’t be the last.

But what will it take for Sunny to get her life on track? The WWE seems to have distanced itself from her.

There is no word on when Sunny will get out of jail. But with the pandemic, the release could happen soon. 

We just hope Sunny can turn her life around. If she tries, she could regain her success in the business once more.