Sonya Deville

Sonya Deville – Life, Career, and Notable Quotes

Discover the life and career of Sonya Deville (Daria Berenato), American wrestler, MMA fighter, and pioneer in LGBTQ representation in professional wrestling. Learn her journey, achievements, challenges, and inspiring quotes.

Introduction

Sonya Deville, whose birth name is Daria Rae Berenato, was born on September 24, 1993. Her courage, drive, and wrestling skills have made her a distinctive figure in modern wrestling.

Early Life and Family

Daria Rae Berenato was born in Shamong Township, New Jersey, to parents of Italian descent. Seneca High School in Tabernacle, New Jersey.

From a younger age, she was drawn to athletic pursuits. She began training in mixed martial arts at age 16. This early involvement in MMA laid a foundation for her later transition into professional wrestling.

Youth, Education & Beginnings

While much of what is publicly known concerns her athletic and performance training, some formative events are worth noting:

• When she was finishing high school, she packed up and moved to Coconut Creek, Florida, to train at one of the top gyms (American Top Team).

• Her MMA background and physical discipline primed her for wrestling performance. She has stated that she wanted to leverage her MMA skills in the WWE ring.

• Before wrestling, she also worked other jobs, including bartending, while still training. She mentions that even in those roles she aimed to do them well.

These steps show a willingness to take risks, to uproot, and to invest deeply in her craft from early on.

Professional Wrestling Career & Achievements

Entry via Tough Enough and NXT

Sonya Deville first came to widespread attention through the WWE reality series Tough Enough in 2015, where she was a finalist.

While in NXT, she performed under her real name Daria Berenato at first, participating in tag matches and building ring experience. Sonya Deville and started a winning streak in NXT, gaining momentum.

Move to Main Roster & Storylines

She was moved to WWE’s main roster in November 2017, joining the Raw brand, and became part of the faction Absolution (with Mandy Rose and Paige). This was an early major push for her character.

Later she and Mandy Rose formed the pairing Fire & Desire, combining ring work and storyline tension.

During her career, Deville went through periods where she took on non-wrestling roles, particularly as an on-screen authority figure, before returning to active in-ring competition.

On July 3, 2023, Deville and partner Chelsea Green won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, marking Deville’s first championship accomplishment in WWE.

Later Years, WWE Departure & Retirement

After recovering, she returned to the ring (in 2024) and became part of a faction called Pure Fusion Collective.

In February 2025, WWE reportedly decided not to renew her contract, making her eligibility for free agency and leading to her departure from WWE.

By July 2025, in an interview, she announced her retirement from professional wrestling (though she did not rule out a possible return).

Mixed Martial Arts & Other Ventures

Beyond wrestling, Deville competed in MMA — she holds a record of two wins and one loss.

She also co-founded a virtual donut business, DaMandyz Donutz, with Mandy Rose.

She appeared in the reality show Total Divas (season 9) and has been included as a character in multiple WWE 2K video games.

Historical & Cultural Context

As a female wrestler entering WWE during the late 2010s onward, Deville was part of an era when women’s wrestling was gaining greater visibility and respect. Many wrestlers, including Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Bayley, were pushing the evolution of women’s roles in wrestling. Deville has acknowledged these women as role models.

Furthermore, her being openly gay makes her a pioneer in a field long rooted in traditional masculine or heteronormative imagery. Her outness, advocacy, and identity have made her a visible LGBTQ voice in wrestling.

Deville’s career also involves personal trauma and challenges. In 2020, a man broke into her home with intent to harm; the incident triggered law enforcement intervention, legal proceedings, and protections for her. This event had a deep personal impact and affected how she viewed safety and vulnerability.

Her career arc also reflects how wrestlers often shift between performance (in-ring) and non-wrestling roles (authority figures), a testament to evolving character development in contemporary pro wrestling storytelling.

Legacy and Influence

Though her active in-ring career is now in her past, Sonya Deville leaves behind multiple significant legacies:

• LGBTQ representation in wrestling. As WWE’s first openly gay female wrestler, she helped normalize queer presence in a major wrestling entertainment company.

• Breaking stereotypes. She combined MMA pedigree, athletic performance, personal storytelling, and outspoken identity — pushing what a female wrestler can be.

• Courage under adversity. Surviving threats to her safety and continuing her career shows resilience and strength.

• Cross-industry ventures. Her entrepreneurship (Donutz), her MMA matches, and her media appearances show her as more than a wrestler — a dynamic personality.

• Inspiring younger athletes. Her visibility gives others courage to bring their whole identity into arenas that have historically been less inclusive.

Even in retirement, she may remain influential if she transitions to mentorship, commentary, or advocacy roles.

Personality, Style & Talents

Sonya Deville’s persona and skills are marked by:

• Toughness and grit. Her MMA background and willingness to fight — physically and socially — show inner strength.

• Honesty and openness. She has spoken relatively freely about her sexuality, her fears, and her struggles.

• Intensity and presence. In the ring and in promos, she carries a strong, intense energy.

• Empathy and responsibility. She has said she feels pressure to represent her community well, and that she wants to encourage others to be themselves.

• Adaptability. Transitioning between in-ring performance, authority roles, and business ventures shows versatility.

Famous Quotes of Sonya Deville

Here are several quotes that reflect her beliefs and voice:

• “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t ever apologize for your sexuality. Just be you.”

• “I really want to utilize my MMA knowledge in my WWE performance.”

• “From a very early age, I realized why I was put on this planet: to fight.”

• “My goal in talking about my sexuality publicly is just so that a scared little girl or little boy can see me do it and think, ‘wow, if she did it, then maybe it’s OK that I do it.’”

• “Equality for all is what we should all want, between race, religion, gender, sexuality… it doesn’t matter.”

• “I started training at a local gym in New Jersey, and the day of my high school graduation, I packed up everything in my car and moved to Coconut Creek, Florida …”

• “I do feel pressure, but I put it on myself because I want to represent the LGBTQ community in a place where they’ve never really been represented that much…”

These quotes underscore themes of self-acceptance, representation, risk, and purpose.

Lessons from Sonya Deville

From her life and career, there are meaningful lessons:

1. Be unapologetically yourself. Her public identity as a gay woman in wrestling was a risk, but one she embraced.

2. Use your platform responsibly. She has tried to ensure that her visibility helps others feel less alone.

3. Invest in the craft. Her MMA training, her movement to training facilities, her persistence — show that success often comes from hard work behind the scenes.

4. Rise from adversity. Facing threats, injuries, or backlash didn’t stop her — she adapted, healed, and returned.

5. Diversify your identity. She’s not just a wrestler; she’s an entrepreneur, an advocate, and a public voice.

6. Mentorship matters. Even without formal roles, being a role model means your journey helps others born into less visible places.

Conclusion

Sonya Deville (Daria Berenato) is a unique and powerful figure in modern wrestling: a talented performer, a brave pioneer in LGBTQ representation, and a resilient spirit who took on personal challenges and public pressures. Her journey — from MMA gym in New Jersey to main roster WWE stardom, to champion, to retirement — is full of highs, struggles, defiance, and meaning.

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