Throwback Thursday: Reby Hardy on Gothic Baby, Wrestling and Being a Child Bride

Summary

Dumb Blonde Podcast Episode Summary
Title: Throwback Thursday: Reby Hardy on Gothic Baby, Wrestling and Being a Child Bride
Host: Dumb Blonde Productions
Release Date: November 28, 2024

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1. Introduction to Reby Hardy

[01:26] Host:
The episode kicks off with a vibrant introduction of Reby Hardy, highlighting her as "one half of the iconic couple." The host sets the stage for an engaging conversation about Reby's multifaceted life.

Notable Quote:
“Does it ever bother you being referred to as Matt Hardy's wife?” – Host [01:38]

2. Struggling with Identity

Reby opens up about the challenges of being overshadowed by Matt Hardy's fame. She expresses frustration over her own accomplishments being overshadowed by her identity as "Matt Hardy's wife."

Notable Quote:
“...it really does, like, discredit literally everything I've ever done in my life.” – Reby Hardy [01:44]

3. Early Life in Queens, New York

Reby paints a vivid picture of her upbringing in Queens. She contrasts her current rural lifestyle with her bustling city childhood, emphasizing the difference in convenience and community.

Notable Quotes:
“Growing up in New York, I feel like now that I've lived in other places than New York...” – Reby Hardy [02:23]
“We had a three-bedroom apartment in New York and... we were balling.” – Reby Hardy [03:18]

4. Family Dynamics and Moving to North Carolina

Reby's relationship with her father is highlighted, showcasing his hard work and its influence on her DIY and handyman skills. She also delves into her parents' separation and the family's relocation to North Carolina to support her father.

Notable Quote:
“So we bought him a house on the compound. We live on 100 acres in the middle of nowhere.” – Reby Hardy [04:04]
“Shout out to my dad because he... is watching him being like a handyman and doing everything himself.” – Reby Hardy [03:19]

5. Teenage Years and Early Career

Reby discusses her active involvement in the entertainment industry during her youth, including dance and piano classes. Her passion for wrestling emerges from her active participation and subsequent opportunities in hosting wrestling shows.

Notable Quote:
“I was a showbiz kid, like, in dance classes and piano classes and just any sort of, like, entertainment or stage...” – Reby Hardy [05:33]
“I ended up being a fill-in host for that show... then eventually... got a deal with MTV.” – Reby Hardy [06:50]

6. Forced Marriage and Early Adulthood Trauma

A poignant segment where Reby reveals her forced marriage at age 15 to escape her mother's legal troubles. She describes the emotional turmoil and the abrupt transition into adulthood, leading to her early divorce.

Notable Quotes:
“I was 16. Technically, the whole thing started when I was 15...” – Reby Hardy [09:28]
“So I ended up actually getting booked on that show. So he was performing, and I was booked as an announcer on that show. And then we met, and from there, it was, like, almost inseparable...” – Reby Hardy [20:21]

7. Meeting Matt Hardy and Building a Relationship

Reby recounts meeting Matt Hardy through Twitter, initiated by a persistent fan's suggestion. Their relationship quickly blossomed despite initial online flirtations and the ensuing public backlash.

Notable Quote:
“We met on Twitter... a random fan on Twitter decided that we needed to be together out of thin air.” – Reby Hardy [20:27]
“That's destiny, you know... what, 10 years now? Longer?” – Host [21:48]

8. Dealing with Public Backlash

The couple navigates through intense public scrutiny and criticism, especially following Matt's personal struggles. Reby emphasizes the importance of standing by each other amidst negativity.

Notable Quote:
“It was hard. I really had to hold my own... trying to pull him out of it... we were young and dumb and probably not making the best choices.” – Reby Hardy [23:16]
“We were just young and dumb and, you know, just going with it.” – Reby Hardy [23:53]

9. Establishing a Family Compound in North Carolina

Reby and Matt establish a large family compound in North Carolina, fostering close-knit family ties and creating a stable environment for their children. She describes the layout and the significance of living close to Matt's family.

Notable Quote:
“We have 100 acres... Matt had the 40 acres on it, and then we've sort of built on... all of us living close together.” – Reby Hardy [25:03]
“We're sort of a family compound that was... his sister's house and my dad's house.” – Reby Hardy [25:30]

10. Launching the Gothic Baby Brand

Reby introduces her "Gothic Baby" brand, initially a satirical response to online perceptions. The concept evolves into a beloved brand, representing their family's unique aesthetic and lifestyle.

Notable Quote:
“It was sort of like a satirical response to what these people were saying.” – Reby Hardy [29:46]
“Gothic baby... I didn't mean for it to be a series... if it popped off and people really liked it, I was like, dude, it.” – Reby Hardy [30:09]

11. Future Endeavors and Legacy

Looking ahead, Reby plans to expand the Gothic Baby brand through a children's book and possibly a reality series. She expresses a desire to showcase the wholesome and multifaceted aspects of her family life.

Notable Quote:
“I am actually in the middle of writing a children's book... it very much fits, like, our organic family dynamic.” – Reby Hardy [30:46]
“I would love to have like a, like, reality series or something and make it sort of like a modern day Addams Family...” – Reby Hardy [35:31]

12. Wrestling and Family Legacy

Reby discusses Matt Hardy's ongoing wrestling career and the influence it has on their children. While her sons show interest in following in Matt’s footsteps, Reby shares her apprehensions about the wrestling industry's challenges.

Notable Quote:
“I want them to do it because, it would be cool and obviously like carry on the Hardy legacy...” – Reby Hardy [33:54]
“I've been there. I know what it's like and that scares the shit out of me.” – Reby Hardy [33:54]

13. Conclusion and Contact Information

The episode wraps up with Reby sharing her social media handles, encouraging listeners to connect with her online. The host thanks Reby for her candidness and participation.

Notable Quote:
“Check me out on Tick Tock. It's at Rebby Hardy. R E B Y Hardy on Instagram is Reby Sky.” – Reby Hardy [36:54]

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Key Takeaways:

• Identity Struggles: Reby Hardy faces challenges in establishing her identity separate from her husband's fame.
• Resilience Through Adversity: Her early forced marriage and subsequent divorce highlight her resilience and determination to carve her own path.
• Unique Family Life: Establishing a large family compound in North Carolina underscores the importance of close family ties and legacy.
• Creative Branding: The Gothic Baby brand exemplifies Reby's creativity and ability to turn personal experiences into widely recognized brands.
• Future Aspirations: Reby aims to expand her brand through literature and possibly a reality series, emphasizing her entrepreneurial spirit.

Final Thoughts:

Reby Hardy's journey is a testament to overcoming personal and professional challenges while building a unique and loving family life. Her candid discussions provide valuable insights into balancing personal identity, family expectations, and public perception.

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Listen to the full episode on Dumb Blonde Productions to dive deeper into Reby Hardy's inspiring story.

Transcript

[Dumb Blonde Host]

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[Dumb Blonde Host]

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[Event Announcer]

All right, gentlemen, coming to main stage next, this is Bunny. Get up there. She's got a tornado of titties coming your way. Get those dollar bills ready. She's got an ass that shakes like Michael J.

[Reby Hardy]

Fox.

[Event Announcer]

So get up there and throw, throw, throw them dollars.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Dude, that is fucking I. What's up, you sexy motherfuckers? Welcome to another episode of Don Blonde. Today I have one half of the iconic couple. The beautiful Revie Hardy is here. Baby.

[Reby Hardy]

Oh, thank you.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Does it ever bother you being referred to as Matt Hardy's wife is like.

[Reby Hardy]

I get it to an extent. Like, he's the more famous one. But it really does, like, discredit literally everything I've ever done in my life. Like, all the cool shit that I've ever done. It was before I met him, really. And there's 100 different lives, lifetimes, that I feel like I've lived before I met him. And all that is just like null and void. Like, no one cares once you're with him, you're just like Mahari's wife. That's it. That's your whole personality. There's nothing else special about you. Yeah, I get it. But at the same time, I'm like, just fuck me. I guess. What am I, chocolate?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah. No, for sure. So I heard the New York accent. And I heard you mention 100 lifetimes, so I want to take it all the way back. You grew up in New York, correct?

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, Queens, New York, Queen.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

My father's from Queens. Cute gardens. Oh, yeah. I've never been. Hospital.

[Reby Hardy]

Not, not far from there.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Oh, very cool. I love that. So growing up in New York, what was that like for? Paint that picture for us, man.

[Reby Hardy]

Growing up in New York, I. I feel like now that I've lived in other places than New York, and especially now I live in like the deep country. Like you got to drive 30 minutes to go to the supermarket.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Oh, my gosh. I didn't even know places were like that in New York.

[Reby Hardy]

No, no, no. Now. So it's like now that I look back on, on my upbringing and my childhood, like, for granted, right? I'm out here like, you know, just going and hanging out in the city, doing it, you know, just at the drop of a hat. And I think about that now. It's like, man, I really gotta drive 20 minutes to go to a Walmart. Like. Yeah, but yeah, we. My dad was a superintendent of an apartment building that we lived in. And that's how we were able to live in a nicer area, which was great. So we had three bedroom apartment in New York and.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

You're balling.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, no, we were balling. Shout out. Shout out to my dad because he, he busted his ass, you know, I feel like everything I have now, even like the gothic baby stuff in my life and my DIY stuff is watching him being like a handyman and doing everything himself. It's like, that's where I get it from.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So you have a pretty good relationship with Pops?

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, we actually ended up moving him down the street so he lived in Puerto Rico after him and my mom split up. She was fucking the gardener and.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Damn it, Mom.

[Reby Hardy]

God damn it, Mom. Damn trifling. So the whole, you know, it was when the hurricane was happening in Puerto Rico about five years back, maybe, God, even longer by now. And we were like, you know what, Every time it rains, it rains inside of your house too. Like this can't. We can't do this. So we bought him a house on the compound. We live on 100 acres in the middle of nowhere.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Nice.

[Reby Hardy]

So now he's. He's part of the compound there. He's got his own little house. So, yeah, we're close and, you know, thank goodness for him.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I love that. So you said. So growing up, did you have both parents or did they split when you were growing Up.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, they were together up until not. Not long ago. My mom bought a house in Millino, North Carolina. Also unrelated to Matt. Just, you know, meant to be in the stars, I guess.

[Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

And she moved first to get the house set up and everything. And my dad had it finished so he could collect his pension. He got to stay X amount of years or whatever. And she ended up, you know, she went buck wild. And then they broke up.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Mom was just ready. She fucking had her. What do they call it? Midlife crisis and just. Yeah, just went crazy. So, growing up, what was little Revie like? Were you always, like, into wrestling and stuff like that? Or was that, like. Were you always rough housing? Do you have relative or siblings?

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, So I have four siblings, but there's like, 18 years in between me and the youngest. Wow. So, you know, they were more like parental figures that I really never saw. So almost like uncles, really, at that point. I'm closer with their kids now, who are technically my nieces and nephews then with my actual siblings. So it was just me because I'm my dad's only kid. And I feel.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Sorry.

[Reby Hardy]

I feel like wrestling in the, like, the late 90s, like, Y2K was. It was like, the hot, cool thing to do. It's not like it is now. You know, it's like, oh, hokey wrestling.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

Nerd. Like, wrestling used to be a cool thing. You know, it's like everybody was into it. So that's kind of, you know, I got into it that way.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah. Did you know, like, as a kid, like, this is what I want to do, or. It was just. You were just kind of like a fan about it.

[Reby Hardy]

I was like a showbiz kid, like, in dance classes and piano classes and just any sort of, like, entertainment or stage, like, I was there. So when I was younger, I never really thought in a million years that I would have any involvement in wrestling at all. That kind of happened after I started working. Not even working. I did. It's so crazy. So this is one of the lifetimes. I had this thing where I would go to Giants game. I was a huge New York Giants fan, and I would go to all the games and I would dress up, and now it's like, who cares, bitch? Everyone dresses up. Listen, back 900 years ago, whenever this. No one was doing this. No one was dressing up in crazy outfits and, you know, like, cute corsets and tutus and shit and going to the gate just wasn't happening.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Right.

[Reby Hardy]

So I started getting this sort of, like, cult following and becoming like this New York Giants. I was the icon because that's a big word, but you know, notable and like on NFL Network and in the commercials and all that kind of thing. So I got to do interviews at Sirius xm. And from there I met somebody who ended up hosting a wrestling show on Sirius xm. And I was like, oh my God, I used to watch wrestling. I remember wrestling. Whatever. Anyway, I ended up being a fill in host for that show.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Wow.

[Reby Hardy]

And then eventually, you know, kept doing that kind of stuff, kind of Gopher Apprentice type stuff. Ended up being an actual host. And then we would have guests in studio, you know, kind of like this. And everyone who would come in would say, man, you should be in the business. Like, what are you doing over here interviewing me? Like, you should be wrestling. And then when I heard that, you know, enough times, I was like, well, it let me, let me go find a school and let me train. And literally two months after I started training, I got a deal with MTV too, for a wrestling TV show that they were doing and it like spiraled from there.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That's crazy.

[Reby Hardy]

Well, let's like one thing to another. Random.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

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[Dumb Blonde Host]

Let'S rewind it back real quick before we start talking about your wrestling. And let's talk about this child bride thing. Oh, we cannot just skip over that.

[Reby Hardy]

I always do though. I drop it every now and then and then I keep moving.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah, that's trauma.

[Reby Hardy]

You're like, destroy, bro.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Well, we're ready, so everybody get your coffee, get your fucking crumpets and tea. We are sitting down right now. It's tea time.

[Reby Hardy]

Okay. All right.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Child ride. So how old were you?

[Reby Hardy]

I was 16. Technically, the whole thing started when I was 15, but I was, you know, I. I want to say like problem child, but when I look back at it, like, was I really, like. I was sort of in the foster care system for a minute. I was in the troubled teen industry, which, like, you know, I don't know if you guys seen like that Paris Hilton interview that she did, speaking out. It was literally that. It was one of those places.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Did you just start getting into trouble? What was the.

[Reby Hardy]

It wasn't even trouble. I wasn't like, I wasn't on drugs. I wasn't like, you know, out here robbing people. I was rebel. I feel like I was just a regular ass teenager, the way you would expect teenagers to be.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Right.

[Reby Hardy]

My mom was really crazy, so she was just, I don't know, she had me really, I don't want to say really old, but she had me at like 41, which in the 80s is like miracle baby, you know, nowadays. Nothing. But back then it was a big deal. She already had four kids, you know, so I feel like she really, really liked me when I was a little baby. And then once I stopped being a baby, it was like it was hard.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

For her to relate to.

[Reby Hardy]

She didn't want to do it, felt like she didn't want nothing to do with me. So I feel like anything that wasn't just me being like a complacent, like doll that she could dress up at that point was like too much. So anything I did was trouble. And I had met this guy and it was like my third boyfriend in my life ever, you know, like 15 years old, whatever. But he was Jewish and the neighborhood, right? You know, next to the neighborhood that I grew up in, like, Regal Park. Lefrak was a huge, like, Hasidic Jewish community, so his parents were, like, hardcore Jewish, so they absolutely hated me. And it was like. It was this. This huge thing. So his mom, just to be spiteful, called CPS on my mom. And because I was already in the system and, like, cops had been called to the house prior because, like, we'd be fighting and throwing hands, craziness, you know, they were like, yeah, she. We're just gonna. She's gonna go back in the foster system. And I was like, bro. So what ended up happening was they sort of, like, arranged for me to marry this guy so that my mom wouldn't go to jail because they were threatening her with that. Like, because his mom had said, oh, you're allowing them to have sex in your house, and you're facilitating all this illicit thing, blah, blah, blah. So my mom's like, you ain't you about to catch me in none of this? So she's like, you're gonna marry him. It's gonna go away, and I'm gonna wipe my hands clean of it. I don't have to deal with you. And now I'm not gonna get in trouble. Kind of is really how it happened.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

How did you feel? Were you ready to get married and kind of get away and get out of the system?

[Reby Hardy]

Well, you know, my dumb ass at 15, I'm like, oh, I love him.

[Advertisement Voice]

Like, whatever.

[Reby Hardy]

It's like this random dude I've known for a few months.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Like, what the.

[Reby Hardy]

What do I know?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

How did his parents feel about the arrangement? Were they okay?

[Reby Hardy]

They were mad.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Oh, they were mad.

[Reby Hardy]

Mad because she was playing the game, you know, because his mom thought, haha, I'm gonna break them up. You know, I'm gonna end this. And the. You know, his. Her mom's gonna get in trouble. And my mom was like, bet.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So they're like, playing their little check.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah. Yeah. So that. That's really. That's how that happened. And it was. It was terrible. You know, I went to my first prom. I was with my husband. I was married before I went to my first prom. Wow. And, you know, just having to figure out where we gonna live now, how are we gonna make money now? You know, and it's. It's not like, you know, around where I live, y'all just get an apartment, get a room in New York, it's like, you know, two grand for a studio, for a room, whatever. So I mean, it. It took a lot of. I feel like, time to develop and like, become my own person and, like, pursue my own interests that I should have been able to have as a normal teenager. Like, regular teenagers. Like, it took that away from me. I feel like part of that is why I'm, like, so psycho into everything. Like, I literally do everything and anything because, like, I couldn't do that before. Like, let me. Let me be crazy now.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

No, I love that. How long did that marriage last?

[Reby Hardy]

Technically, it was two. Almost three years. But, I mean, really, it was over, right? It wasn't even really, like, a marriage, really.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

How did you guys get, like, did he work? Did you work? Like, how did you guys even live?

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, we both worked. I worked as a belly dancer, so I worked for an entertainment company. I would do weddings, bar mitzvahs, you know.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Can you belly dance for us still?

[Reby Hardy]

I mean, I got the belly for now. I mean, I guess I could.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That's like. I love the way they move their hips. And, like, it is just. It's like, it puts people in a trance.

[Reby Hardy]

It does.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

It is so hot and seductive, dude. Okay, so after you get this divorce, you're how old?

[Reby Hardy]

Almost 18.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Almost 18. Where did. Where does Rebi go from here?

[Reby Hardy]

So you're already.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

You're 18, just divorced.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, divorcee. And I took my wedding photos from a wedding photo shoot that we had done at the mall. Like one of those, like, glamour shots places, and I uploaded it onto glamour shots.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I remember.

[Reby Hardy]

Fucking embarrassing. I need to go find these pictures because I think you make a good story time or something.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I do it.

[Reby Hardy]

I put it on this, like, model portfolio website.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yes.

[Reby Hardy]

And within the first, like, week, I met this guy. Of course, I met a bunch of guys. Bunch of fucking creeps, because that's what that shit was. And yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah. If they hide behind a modeling agency.

[Reby Hardy]

Oh, yeah, I'm a photographer, you know, come do artistic photos. There was a lot of that, and I learned that pretty quick. I was dumb, but I caught on pretty quick.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

But I met this guy who I ended up dating very briefly, but he had a friend, and he's like, oh, yeah. I got this friend who's a photographer, and he shoots film. And, you know, I feel like he, you know, you'd be a good fit for him because I used to be, like, 90 pounds, like, super, you know, ideal for that kind of stuff that he was doing at the time.

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[Reby Hardy]

So I went and I did that. We shot on like some rooftop in the city. I went to Montauk in Long island in the Hamptons and we shot some stuff that ended up being the guy who shot my first Playboy pictures. My first Playboy pictures. I didn't even know we're gonna be. I didn't even know I was gonna be in Playboy. I got a call from this guy six months, eight months after the fact, and he's like, I'm gonna be in Playboy. And I was like, congratulations. And he's like, no, no, no, we're gonna be in Playboy. And I was like, isn't that what?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Isn't that crazy how back in the day, like, people could take anybody's pictures as long as they had the author or not even an authorization, but as long as they had the pictures and submit them to a fucking magazine like Playboy, they would never do that. Now.

[Reby Hardy]

I couldn't imagine the lawsuits that would.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Happen now is crazy, you know, but.

[Reby Hardy]

It'S like they were like film pictures on the beach. I literally thought he was just like. Because I was sort of like his test models for when he would, you know, shoot the real beautiful models, you know, like the real tall girls or you know, the stuff that he. Because he was doing arts and books and museums and stuff like that. So I was like, okay, nothing's ever going to come of it. And you know, that ended up being published. And from there I was like, bitch, I'm going to run with this. Yeah, this is my moment.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So.

[Reby Hardy]

And I like took that and literally, like marketed myself to try and be the most important model that has ever modeled in the fucking world of modeling. Like, I was just like, this is my chance. And I just. I hooked my trailer up to that and went. And it worked out, thank God.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So you got published in Playboy. What happens after that?

[Reby Hardy]

After that, really just like magazine stuff. Signed to a couple agencies. I ended up moving to Florida and then sort of the whole giants thing. And from there it went to radio and to wrestling.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Okay, so now we circle back to when you got signed. You got signed by. Who was it again? Was it. No, you didn't say mtv.

[Reby Hardy]

Who. Who signed for the wrestling.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yes.

[Reby Hardy]

So it was a company. It was called Lucha Libre USA. And it was a show to be on MTV.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Okay, gotcha.

[Reby Hardy]

So it was on MTV. MTV 2. It was on the Latino MTV. And. And yeah, I was thrown into wrestling. My first match, my first proper match was televised on live tv. So it's like crazy, because a lot of times wrestling fans would be like, this stump. She's only in wrestling because of Matt. She sucks. That's the only reason she got a chance. Like, literally, like, this was. I had like months of training and thrown into it, and that's it on tv. Bam. It wasn't like how most people, you know, years of training and, you know, going to a facility and, you know, having indie matches. It was like, boom, right away on TV with like veterans of wrestling swim. So, yeah, it was like, yeah, go ahead, good luck.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

And so how did that first match turn out?

[Reby Hardy]

I feel like they protect the producers of the match. Protected me enough. It was like a six girl tag match at least. But I mean, I was so fucking.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Scared of death because, you know, those pitches are tough. They're rowdy, dude.

[Reby Hardy]

Oh, my God. The people that had me in there too, I thought I was gonna die. And it's very like wrestling cult mentality, like the culture of wrestling to like shit on the new girl and to like show her who's boss kind of thing. So in that match necessarily, it really wasn't. But like, that is sort of the whole feeling around wrestling in general, which is where I feel like a lot of my wrestling beef is started with. Because people are like, oh, this new. She hasn't paid her dues. Whatever the.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Like, it's like a pecking order.

[Reby Hardy]

It really is. And it's like a lot of those people got bullied coming up. And even if it was coming up 20 years ago when, you know, the culture around wrestling and what was socially acceptable was a lot different 20 years ago. People used to be in people's bags just to show him who's boss. And that was normal. You do that now, you go to jail. You know what I mean? Those people went through that and they're like, oh, who's this? You know, little pretty coming up. And she thinks she's just gonna roll up in here and have a spot. And then especially once I started dating Matt, it was like, bullseye on this dumb bitch.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Oh, so take me. Take us into your wrestling career a little bit. So you did that first match and then where does that go from there? How long after your first match did you meet Matt?

[Reby Hardy]

So we actually met on Twitter.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Oh, really? Okay, awesome.

[Reby Hardy]

The worst way to meet anybody, honestly.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I mean, you could have said Tinder. So I mean, Twitter better than Tinder.

[Reby Hardy]

It's more embarrassing than that, I feel like. But I was doing. I started doing indie stuff, so I did it sort of backwards, right? It was like on tv. And then I started doing independent stuff locally. And I was doing a lot of announcing work because I was still working in radio. So people sort of like, recognize me for being able to talk kind of thing.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Believe it or not, I think you're doing great.

[Reby Hardy]

It's a very different life. And this girl on Twitter saw that I was going to be at a show, or the show that saw that Matt was going to be at a show, and she, she tweeted me. And I had just broken up with somebody and I'm lamenting like my life is a very dramatic fucking emo 2012, you know, whatever. Yes, very much that I'm gonna die. My life is a very dramatic. So this girl, I guess wrestling fan, seen it and she was like, you know what? You should, you should try and talk with this guy, Matt Hardy. He's just, he's been through a breakup and I don't even know what they were referencing, but bitch, I. I found out since she's like, he's been through a breakup and you've been. You guys would be really great together. And he just like wrote back like a colon, parentheses, this. How long ago? Wasn't even emojis yet. Like winky face, like, uh, huh, yeah, sure, I'll let you know, you know, when the wedding is or whatever. And literally it just started with bullshit flirtations back and forth because like this random fan on Twitter decided that we needed to be together out of thin air.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

But that's destiny, you know, I mean, literally, I guess if you think about, I mean, you guys have been together, what, 10 years now? Longer?

[Reby Hardy]

13 years.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Like, that's obviously. That was definitely written in the cards. Okay, so you and Matt are fucking tweeting. Each other. When do you guys officially meet?

[Reby Hardy]

So there was that show that that girl was saying, oh, you should. Oh. So there was a show that he had that weekend, and the fan persisted, right? Because I probably would have just let it go, but the fans like, are you going to go see him? And I was like, how else are we supposed to consummate the marriage? Jokes on me, bitch. Hope out, not look at me. But, you know, so I ended up actually getting booked on that show. So he was performing, and I was booked as a. An announcer on that show. And then we met, and from there, it was, like, almost inseparable, like, from that day. Crazy. Yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Look at your eyes light up when you talk about it. She's like, he drives me nuts, but I love him. Oh, I love that. So you guys get together, you deal with the backlash of his breakup, right? We don't really have to touch too much on it because I know people go, this day.

[Reby Hardy]

Yes.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah, I've seen it online, and I'm like, bro, like, they have fucking four kids together. They literally are been married 13 years. Like, leave her alone. So you get. You catch all this backlash. You know, how do you deal with everything that was getting thrown your way? Like, the girls are picking on you and the wrestling, and then, you know, you're dealing with the backlash from that. How did you guys kind of, like, come together and just buckle down?

[Reby Hardy]

It was hard. I really had to hold my own. But on top of it, at the time, he was going through, like, a time, like, a ton of issues. So he was, like, always in the press, like, getting in trouble, and I was having to, you know, toe that line of not wanting to defend him because I was the one trying to pull him out of it, but also, like, not wanting people to on your man kind of thing. So I got a lot of just for even sticking by him half the time. And, you know, we were young and dumb and probably not making the best choices. You know, he got out of rehab for one day, and the first thing we did was, like, do a nude photo shoot, like, post about, like. And I look back and I'm like, what the was I thinking, bro? But, you know, I'm sure to fan.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Baby, what the hell is this?

[Reby Hardy]

You know, probably look fucking crazy, but, you know, so it was a lot of backlash. Some of it was deserved because we. I was. I was just young and dumb and, you know, just going with it. And I've always had, like, a very, like, troll mentality. Like, you're not about to Talk crazy to me. Right. Without having me talk back. And I've calmed down a lot.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah, it's hard because you can't win.

[Reby Hardy]

But I'm like, you're not gonna disrespect me. I don't care if it's. If. If you're. If you got a screen behind you or if you don't mind. You want to say that to my face? I want to let that slide in person. Why am I gonna let it slide now?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Like presence.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, exactly. So it's like, I. I used to have to attack everybody.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So, yeah, I've had to learn that this very past week. It's very hard to keep your mouth shut, especially when it's like, you know the whole story and they don't. And everybody's got a opinion.

[Reby Hardy]

Oh, yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

My. Now I just tell people, you know, hopefully you can mind your business this week, you know? And they hate it because they're like, you, too? And I'm like, my page, you know? It's so hard not want to go back and forth.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So let's move forward. You and Matt have been together. You guys have created this beautiful life. How do you guys end up in North Carolina? How do you guys end up in North Carolina?

[Reby Hardy]

So his. He's from there. His whole family's from there. Like, for 300 years, just everyone's been born on the same block kind of thing. And we've lived on the same. I say block, but, you know.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah, well, you're from New York, so it makes sense.

[Reby Hardy]

But. Yeah, I mean. And he'll never, never leave. I've tried, especially before we had kids. Well, let's get a place in Florida. Let's get a place in New York. I tried to get him to buy my old apartment 10 years ago, and 10 years ago, it was like 500,000. That shit's like 800,000. I'm like, we should have bought it.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

You know, but he. He. He's just born and raised there. His whole family's from there forever. He will never leave. We'll be there forever.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That's how country boys are. My husband will never leave Nashville as much as he says he wants to. We're never going to leave.

[Reby Hardy]

Oh, he. He don't even want to, though. He's just like, this is it. That's all he knows. So.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So you guys bought 100 acres in North Carolina?

[Reby Hardy]

It was just there.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

It was just there. Oh, you guys built. So you guys built your house on the acres?

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah. So it's sort of like the family compound that was. It used to be like, his dad's house, and then, like, the house he grew up in, across and then his sister's house. And the next to that was like another family house. It was like this huge plot of farmland. I think they used to be, like, tobacco farmers or something.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So awesome.

[Reby Hardy]

Matt had the 40 acres on it, and then we've sort of built on Jeff, his brother is next to us, and then across is their dad, who's passed, and then next to that is my dad.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I love that. That is really awesome.

[Reby Hardy]

Yes.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So take me into the house. Where did you. Have you always been into Gothic interior? Like, is that your thing? Like, take me on this journey of Gothic baby. Because everybody is just obsessed with Gothic baby. That's what drew me in. That was the first video of yours I ever saw. I was like, look at this baby. I was like, this is so amazing. And then I saw the. All your. That you do, and I'm like, oh, God, I'm following her. She's like, inspiration, like, for the deck, for the decor, and love it.

[Reby Hardy]

I. I grew up. You know that apartment that I grew up in Queens. I mentioned that my dad was the super of the building, right? So when people would die, he would, like, get. He would get first dibs on their apartment. You know what I mean? If next to kid didn't come and claim the stuff, it's going in the dump or my dad's taking it. You know what I mean?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Right.

[Reby Hardy]

So we had this very eclectic mix of, like, antiques and old stuff and oddities and sort of weird stuff. So that was the apartment that I grew up in. It was very, like, mixed match and antique, Right? So to me, that was normal. And I always thought that was the most beautiful thing. I didn't never want anything modern or, you know, futuristic. Even throughout, like, Y2K, everything's, you know, modern. I just. I wanted to live, like, in a castle my whole life. So even, like, I feel like I would ask for Christmas for, like, I want, like, a Beauty and the Beast mirror, but, like, I would get, like, something pink and plastic, and I'd be like, what the fuck is this?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Right.

[Reby Hardy]

I wanted the carved, gilded. Exactly. So that's sort of like my whole life that was, like, goals, you know? So when I had. When I was pregnant with Gothic baby.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Is she Evermore?

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I love the name.

[Reby Hardy]

Thank you.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I love all. What is it? Maxel Evermore gang, which I found out.

[Reby Hardy]

On Twitter is very controversial name. Bartholomew Fucking.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I didn't know that. Me Neither.

[Reby Hardy]

Until I posted it. Apparently, Bartholomew is, like, a name that you call somebody, like, make fun of them, or, like, when you think somebody's not cool, you just like, karen. You're like, okay, Karen. If somebody's not cool, you say, like, okay, Bartholomew. Like, I didn't know that.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I never heard that in my life.

[Reby Hardy]

Me neither, bro. No, I felt like, God damn it, I didn't know that.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That is insane. Okay, so when you were pregnant with Gothic baby.

[Reby Hardy]

So she was my first girl after three boys. And I have it in my head, like, I'm a boy mom. That's. That's all I am. I don't know how to deal with a girl, especially with all the horseshit with my mom. I didn't know how to have a relationship, like, with a mom or with a girl.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

So to break the cycle.

[Reby Hardy]

So, you know, the first girl after. Sorry, Matt's over here. Like, asmr.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

It's okay. It's okay, bro.

[Reby Hardy]

The first girl after three boys. And I could either, like, go completely pink, ruffle, glitter, like, you know, Barbie, or, you know, maybe something more gender neutral, which is what I ended up going with. So the original intent for, like, the nursery was never. I was never like, I'm gonna make a gothic nursery. It was like, I'm gonna do something neutral and try and make it, like, as luxe as I can without being modern. So to me, what does that mean? A lot of antiques, a lot of, like, draperies and stuff. And then even in just sharing that stuff, you know, and there's nothing inherently, I would say goth in her room. And I feel like there's a difference between, like, goth and Gothic. Like, Gothic, I feel like, is more of a style, aesthetic and architectural style. And goth is more like the music scene or, you know, the fashion or, you know, maybe even into emo, whatever the hell, you know. So. But people were seeing that I was just posting little bits of here and there on my social media, and people were just going crazy. Like, this poor child living in a gothic house. She has no color.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Like, you know, a huge house. Yeah, yeah. Poor child.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah. Like, we just put her in this one room all day, and that's all it's gonna be.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

So the whole gothic baby thing started as, like, a satirical response, like, to what these people were saying. Like, oh, this gothic baby just mopes around all day surrounded by darkness. So literally, I didn't mean for it to be a series. It was just me, like, you know, like, I was back wanting a troll.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

Like, you know, Being sarcastic, like, yes, my poor child. Gothic baby.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

And that. That's how it happened. If it popped off and people really liked it, I was like, dude, it.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

More than popped off. It's literally just viral. Everybody knows Gothic baby now, which is insane. Oh, she's like. She's like, damn it. I get showed up by my husband, and then I get showed up by my fucking kid.

[Reby Hardy]

I've always said I'm the least popular person in my family.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Oh, not true, though, because you're probably the glue that holds everybody together, you know? I feel like us wives, we don't get enough fucking credit, but it is what it is. So do you have plans on, like, branding Gothic Baby or, like.

[Reby Hardy]

So I'm actually in the middle of writing a children's book, and it's sort of, like, based on her and. And inclusivity and that kind of thing. And, I mean, I would love to take it to the moon, you know, I love doing it. It very much fits, like, our organic family dynamic and how we actually live and what our house really is, you know, it's not like a front or anything. It just. It started because that's what the hell was happening in my house, you know? So it would be great to keep on going with that.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Are you gonna put the kids into it, too? The other kids, the older ones, the younger ones.

[Reby Hardy]

It's funny, because anytime Bartholomew, bless his heart, poor thing, we call it hardy. It rhymes, you know?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

Poor thing. I didn't know about the Bard, okay?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I never. That's news to me. I am so tired of the Internet, though. Girl, you caught me on the right week, because I am just. The Internet is so sensitive, dude. Like, you can't do anything right.

[Reby Hardy]

No, you can't do anything, period. Yeah. Yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

You're damned if you do. You're damned if you're down. So just live your life. Them, like, who cares? Love you guys, but fuck you. Okay.

[Reby Hardy]

No, I feel you there, But. But anytime we even see anything black or, like, you know, for example, I, like, have my nails done, right? And they're like. You know, they're darker, they're black. And the first thing that Barty says, he comes with his Gothic baby nails. Like, anything black is, like, Gothic baby. And, you know, they see their sister, you know, when I do my little bits and stuff with her, and they. He's always trying to get in. You know, they always want to be in. And even our first kid, you know, he was on the road with us at wrestling shows on TV from the time he was four months old.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

Like, literally traveling the world. He's been to, like, four different continents at this point at, like, one. You know, so they're just. We're just a showbiz family. That's just sort of how it is. You know, a lot of people have.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Done a reality show on you guys yet.

[Reby Hardy]

We're actually talking to a bunch of people now. But I don't want to jinx anything.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

But, like, if not, I'll produce it. My fucking production company. That shit would be amazing, dude.

[Reby Hardy]

I agree. They're so. There's so many different things that are happening at any given time that I feel like are weird and different.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

But, yeah, I hate the whole reality show thing because it takes forever for the networks and, like, the filming. This is what we've been doing it with Chelsea Handler for fucking since 2018. Or. When was it? When did we meet her? Yeah, 2018. And it is a fucking process. Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

Takes forever. That just scares me because I'm like, first of all, she's not going to be a baby forever.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah.

[Reby Hardy]

And then, secondly, you kind of, like, strike while the iron's hot, you know, And I'm very impatient.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That's what I just did with me.

[Reby Hardy]

So I'm. It might end up being.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I'll help you. We'll talk about it whenever we're done with this interview, like, for real.

[Reby Hardy]

Thank you.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That would be awesome to go out there and, like, film for a few weeks and just get. Get a whole thing for you guys.

[Reby Hardy]

We would be down. Yeah, we. We would love that.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I'll talk to you about it after this. But yeah, so. Okay. So you guys still. Are you still wrestling or. No, no, Matt is still wrestling.

[Reby Hardy]

He is? Yeah.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

That's crazy. That fucking. How long has he been in the business?

[Reby Hardy]

Do you want to come say hi?

[Dumb Blonde Host]

He's eating. He doesn't have to.

[Reby Hardy]

It's okay.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah. 31 years, like, that's fucking insanity. But do you. You think that your boys are gonna follow in his footsteps?

[Reby Hardy]

You know, when they were younger, it was, like, literally all they were about. And, you know, you'd ask them, what do you want to be when you grow up? And we would. I homeschool. So we do our little board every year for, you know, the beginning of the super season. Thank you. And, you know, it would say, what do you want to do in Europe? And it was always wrestler, wrestler, wrestler. I feel like the older one, which is the one that was on TV, he literally had a match on TV when he was 1 years old like insane. I feel like he's almost like a jaded vet. Like he's over it. It's funny. The other two are very much like, the younger ones are very much into it. We have a wrestling ring in our house. So, like, they're always asking to go out there. And you know, the little, little one is in jiu jitsu right now. So it's, it's. I feel. I'm scared. I'm almost scared to say it because I know how the business is. Like, I want them to do it because it would be cool and obviously like carry on the Hardy legacy and. Yeah, you know, it makes sense. But at the same time, I'm like, I've been there. I know what it's like and that scares the shit out of me. So, yeah, just gonna. It's. It's.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Whenever that comes, you guys will deal with it as it comes.

[Reby Hardy]

I. I guess I don't even want to think about it, honestly.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

What if she is like, I want to be the wrestler.

[Reby Hardy]

No hard fucking. No.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Gothic baby. The wrest wrestler.

[Reby Hardy]

I'm sorry. I let her have complete body and personal life autonomy until then.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah, the.

[Reby Hardy]

You are.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah. Like, no, you're not doing it, girl.

[Reby Hardy]

I've been there. Oh, you don't. You don't want this.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Well, what do you think? Gothic, the whole thing for you, your family. Gothic baby. What do you see it in 2022 or 20? Sorry, wrong year. What do you see for 2023? Gothic baby. Your brand, all that stuff. What would you want to manifest if you could manifest something right now?

[Reby Hardy]

I would love to have like a, like a reality series or something and make it sort of like a modern day Addams Family, you know, not. Not tie myself, you know, not too close to that whole thing. But I mean, it is a huge part, you know, sort of like the Osbournes were like the cool alt reality family back in the day. I feel like, you know, we could. There's not really that much representation. I feel like for all people that's positive at least. And I feel like, you know, we do have that style and we do have that lifestyle and that aesthetic, but, you know, we're also, I don't know, I would say fairly wholesome. We're pretty cool. There's a lot going on. I feel like that'd be cool to share because.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Extremely wholesome.

[Reby Hardy]

There's already so many like, misconceptions about every single person in this family at this point that it would be nice to like one clear the air and Then two, like, just share the. The good parts.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

I think it'll be awesome and I think it will happen for you guys because you guys have a very. I love whenever he gets in the Tick Tock, too, because he's like, my husband. My husband hates to get in the Tick Tocks. And you can tell. He's like, posted something the other day.

[Reby Hardy]

And I was like, I forget what it was that he was saying, but I was like, oh, my God. This, like, literally word for word what my husband would say.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Yeah, no, Jay hates it. He always says, you can be the online Persona and I'm the musician. Like, he's like, I just want to be mysterious. And I'm like, okay, well, mysterious. This on my Tick Tock. There you go. He's like, tick Tock. Well, Revie, I really enjoyed having you here. Thank you for coming. Coming by. Why don't you tell people where they can find you? Shout out your Tick Tock Instagram. Anything you want to plug.

[Reby Hardy]

Yeah, just check me out on. On Tick Tock. It's at Rebby Hardy. R E B Y Hardy on Instagram is Reby Sky. Someone stole my name. Can't get it back, but yeah, other than that, that's it. Damn it.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Thank you so much for coming.

[Reby Hardy]

Thank you.

[Dumb Blonde Host]

Really appreciate you. Thank you guys for tuning in to another episode of Dumb Blonde. I will see you guys next week. Bye.