WWE's Kelly Kelly Credits Vince McMahon With Teaching Her How To 'Dance & Striptease'

Kelly Kelly, aka Barbie Blank, hasn't appeared in the WWE on regular basis since 2012 when she was released from her contract. She took some time off to recover from a neck injury, and focus on modeling, before briefly hopping on the independent circuit.

In 2017 she made her return to the WWE. Since then the former Divas Champion has made sporadic appearances with the organization. Her most recent came in January 2022 when she participated in the Royal Rumble.

Barbie Blank in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

That was Blank's third appearance in the Royal Rumble and her last for a while. The 36-year-old revealed earlier this week that she is pregnant with her first child.

"I am feeling amazing," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I’ve been dreaming about this journey to motherhood for so long and starting a family with my incredibly supportive husband, Joe. Now that it’s here, it’s just been such a great experience."

Blank is just talking about her new addition. In the latest episode of the podcast The Sessions with Renée Paquette - which dropped on Thursday - she does talk about her pregnancy, but she also dishes on her start in wrestling.

She made her debut for the ECW brand back in 2006 at the age of 19. She became the youngest Diva on the WWE roster despite not knowing how to wrestle.

Blank's character was an exhibitionist who would perform a striptease for the crowd. So just a couple of months into learning the ropes as a wrestler, she had to learn how to dance and perform a striptease.

She revealed during the conversation with Paquette that it was actually Vince McMahon who ended up teaching her how to do both.

"I was only in developmental for literally two months. Paul Heyman called me and he's 'Barbie I have this idea for you. You're going to be this exhibitionist, but you have a jealous boyfriend who's gonna come and cover you up every week."

"And he told me 'it's just a storyline to get your foot in the door. We know you can't wrestle yet. But we think it's a good idea,'" Blank added. "And I just thought 'well I'm not going to say no. Let's do it!'"

Backstage WWE producer Kasama was the first one tasked to teach her how to dance. Ultimately it was McMahon and Carmen Elektra dance tapes that ended up teaching her how to move.

She said after her lessons with Kasama, "Then we had to go and show Vince. And Vince had his own... he took his jacket off at one point."

Barbie Blank's ECW debut as Kelly in 2006 (Image Credit: YouTube)

"And I remember being like 'this is somebody that I used to watch when I was a kid.' And this is Vince McMahon, teaching me how he wants me to do this dance and striptease."

Following her lesson with McMahon they wanted her to study one of the best at the time. Blank reveals that they asked her put in some film study.

"They wanted me to watch the Carmen Elektra dance tapes," she revealed. "'Okay, I'll watch whatever.'"

Blank had one hell of a run. From her striptease start (see her debut here) through the WWE's Diva era to today, where she's made multiple appearances on Screencaps, including last Sunday.

A career like that doesn't grow on trees.