Sonya Deville Reveals What Vince McMahon Did for Her After 2020 Kidnapping Incident
Former WWE star Sonya Deville reveals on Ariel Helwani Show that following her 2020 attempted kidnapping, Vince McMahon rented her a home and provided 24/7 armed security protection.
Former WWE Superstar Sonya Deville disclosed that Vince McMahon arranged housing and security for her following a frightening attempted kidnapping incident in 2020. Deville shared these details during her recent appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show.
In August 2020, Deville (real name Daria Berenato) faced a terrifying situation when Philip A. Thomas II broke into her home armed with a knife, zip ties, and duct tape. Thomas had parked at a nearby church, walked to her residence, cut a hole in her patio screen, and watched her for several hours before entering.
The home’s security system activated when Thomas opened the sliding door, alerting Deville and her guest, former WWE performer Mandy Rose. Both women escaped and contacted authorities, leading to Thomas’s arrest.
Deville explained how WWE immediately mobilized to help after the incident. The company sent security personnel to retrieve her belongings and arranged hotel accommodations in downtown Tampa.
WWE sent security to meet me there to go in the house and get my stuff out. They got us a hotel in downtown Tampa. I was so paranoid. I thought the hotel couldn’t be in my name because the whole concern was he was going to get out on bail and they weren’t going to grant a permit restraining order. The people at Tampa Police who were communicating with me were like, ‘He’s going to get some kind of bail. I don’t know if he going to be able to make it, but he’s going to get some kind of bail.’ I was freaking out. He’s going to be loose tonight and come right back after me. The cops made it clear, and in the interrogation he made it clear he’s not done with me, and when he gets free he will come back after me. I was freaked out. I put the hotel name under an alias. Me and Mandy [Rose] are in a hotel room together, scared shitless, we dragged the dresser in front of the hotel room door…
Deville recounted her conversation with McMahon, who reached out during the crisis. McMahon invited her to visit the venue for the upcoming SummerSlam event, where she met with him, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon.
I’m talking to Vince. SummerSlam is coming up and he’s checking in on me. He said, ‘Why don’t you come to the venue? I want to say hi and hug you.’ We drove to the venue, saw him, Hunter [Triple H] and Stephanie [McMahon] were there. He’s like, ‘What do you need from me?’ ‘I don’t know.’ ‘Are you going to be okay staying back at your house?’ ‘No, I don’t think I can go back there.’ I left on my ADT camera and there were reporters all over my front door step. ‘I can’t do this. It’s okay. I’ll figure it out.’ Vince is like, ‘No, what do you want to do? Do you need a place to stay?’ ‘I don’t know. My dad is coming down tomorrow and we’ll try to figure something out.’ ‘Alright, we’ll get you a place to stay if you need a place to stay.’ Vince rented a house for me to stay in, in a different part of Florida. My mom came to stay with me. Mandy stayed with me a little. Mandy’s mom came and stayed, and hired 24/7 armed security. These guys had guns on their hips.
The legal proceedings resulted in Thomas receiving a 15-year prison sentence along with 15 years of probation. The court accepted his guilty plea to charges of attempted kidnapping, aggravated stalking, and armed burglary.
