WWE Star Roman Reigns Denies Alleged Connections With Steroids Dealer
World Wrestling Entertainment star Roman Reigns has denied accusations that he is one of the clients of a major steroids dealer.
Recently, Reigns -- named Joe Anoa'i in real life -- responded to the claims of Richard Rodriguez that he and other big names in Hollywood were some of his clients. Rodriguez has been in jail since February 2017 for dealing and producing $10 million-worth of steroids.
In a statement provided to sports news outlets, Reigns said: "I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I've passed 11 tests as part of WWE's independent drug testing program."
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The "mistake" Reigns was referring to was his 30-day suspension in June 2016 for "his first violation of the [WWE's] talent wellness policy."
WWE never revealed the specific reason for Reigns' sanction, but there were rumors that it had nothing to do with steroids but was because of the use of Adderall. The latter is a known medical prescription for people with ADHD but is a common prohibited drug in various sports leagues.
The wrestler immediately apologized at the time and owned up to his violations. In a social media post, he said: "I apologize to my family, friends and fans for my mistake in violating WWE's wellness policy. No excuses. I own it."
Rodriguez was imprisoned after the gym he owned in Miami, named Wellness Fitness Nutrition, was raided by law enforcement following a year-long investigation.
Reigns' name popped up during an interview with Rodriguez by filmmaker Jon Bravo. The conversation was posted on YouTube recently. Apart from being a client, Rodriguez claimed that Reigns also participated in the operation of the Miami gym.
Meanwhile, despite being named a client of Rodriguez, sources told TMZ that Reigns and the other personalities would not be a subject of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration since the federal agency was focused on big-time dealers of illegal drugs and not their alleged customers.
Apart from Reigns, Rodriguez alleged Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel were some of his high-profile clients as well. The Hollywood actors are also reportedly immune to DEA's investigation.
