Former WWE Women's Champ Melina says that her character on-screen during her time with the company affected her personal life.

Melina burst onto the WWE scene as the valet for the famed team M&M, composed of former WWE Superstar John Morrison and current WWE Executive Joey Mercury. She later turned to singles competition with an interesting storyline involving Mick Foley.

The former M&M valet actually went on to have a great singles career winning the WWE Women's Championship three times and the WWE Divas Title two times. Despite her in-ring success, Melina says that her self-described 'bit**y' character caused her problems outside the ring.

During a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Melina says she was lonely and hurt backstage during her run with the WWE, and described backstage life with the company as similar to high school:

"I talk to people now, and they thought I was so confident. I was doing all this awesome stuff onstage, and they didn't realize I was going through so much loneliness and hurt backstage. It was like high school."

Melina also dove further into how her character affected her personal life as people thought she was the same person as the character she played on TV:

"I'm proud of that character, then and now, because it was just a character – and she was great at being a b---h – but when it came to my personal life, it felt like everyone around me thought that's who I was. I just felt so invisible."

After her real-life relationship with John Morrison ended Melina says that her traumas got even worse. She's not ready to discuss them publicly, but did say that she believes other people's sexual relationships are nobody else's business:

“I had actual relationships — I got shamed for getting another boyfriend, and I was just trying to find love,” she pointed out.

“People shame women, but then you see all these guys, and they can do whatever they want,” she continued. “That isn’t just in wrestling, that is life. This is the way women are seen now in general.”

Since departing from WWE, Melina has done work for Lucha Underground and is currently working the indie scene every now and then in addition to making various appearances.

What are your thoughts on Melina's comments? Let us know in the comments section below! The second episode of GiveMeSport’s WWE podcast is here! Check out the inside info from our coverage in Orlando. https://soundcloud.com/user-818579649/givemesport-inside-wrestlemania-33