celebforum - Christy Hemme

Christina Lee "Christy" Hemme (born October 28, 1980) is an American actress, singer, model and professional wrestling valet. Hemme is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and is also known for her appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment and her pictorial in the April 2005 issue of Playboy.

Early life

Hemme was born in Poway, California, but she grew up in Temecula, California. She enjoyed racing street bikes and dirt bikes. She was a "self-described" tomboy. She grew up watching wrestling, and favored The Undertaker.

She was a cheerleader for two years at Temecula Valley High. She graduated in 1998 at age seventeen. Hemme attended Mount San Jacinto College, where she majored in dance.

Personal life

Hemme has a brother, David, and a sister, Deena Hemme, who is also a model. Her father, Robert, owns an insurance agency in her hometown of Temecula. Her mother Susan died in 2002. Christy stated in the DVD Viva Las Divas of the WWE that the week she won the WWE Raw Diva Search was on the anniversary of her mom's death. Also her hair is naturally blonde but dyes it red in honor of her mother, whose hair was red.

Hemme is an avid motorcyclist. She owns a Harley Davidson Dyna Glide Low Rider.

Hemme's tattoos include an eagle on her left wrist, a heart on her right wrist, a star with a heart in the middle on the back of her neck, a linking design running down her right side, matching loop triangles on the outsides of both wrists, a small heart on her lower back, and a heart with the same loop triangle in the middle on her left shoulder, which has since been expanded. Hemme also has several piercings: in her ears, tongue, bellybutton, and two in her nostril.

In her blogs, she regularly professed a love of music and interest in songwriting. She cites diverse musical influences such as AC/DC, The Doors, Mother Love Bone, Nine Inch Nails, and Pink Floyd.

Modeling career

After graduating, she relocated to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in modeling. Hemme initially joined a burlesque dance team known as "The Purrfect Angelz". She performed at Easyrider tours and Harley motorcycle rallies. She went on appear in magazines such as Maxim, Playboy, Rolling Stone and Stuff. In addition, she appeared in the music video of the Trace Adkins song "Chrome", and in videos for bands Blink-182 and Sonic. She also had parts in commercials for AT&T and TrimSpa, and she was a spokesmodel for Hawaiian Tropic. Other early jobs included a waitressing job at Hooters.

In past years, her image has also been found on Bench Warmer trading cards as Christy "Sunni" Hemme. As Sunni, she was Bullz-eye.com's featured model in September 2002. Her modeling career led to her joining the cast of Comedy Central's The Man Show as a member of the "Juggy Dance Squad" in 2003. Hemme remained with the series for a year, during which she appeared on "The Commies", a Comedy Central produced award show, on December 7, 2003.

Hemme took part in the 2004 Lingerie Bowl. She appeared on the cover of the April 2005 issue of Playboy magazine. Before appearing nude in the magazine, Hemme got the permission of her father, who had previously requested that she never pose nude.

She also competed as a quarterback for the Chicago Bliss Lingerie Football League team in the 2006 Lingerie Bowl.

Wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2004–2005)
Christy Hemme during her time with WWE
Christy Hemme during her time with WWE

In the summer of 2004, Hemme participated in the Diva Search, a competition held by World Wrestling Entertainment in order to recruit new Divas. In the course of the competition, Hemme and the five other finalists faced seven existing WWE Divas in a game of dodgeball at SummerSlam on August 15, eliminating all eight Divas with the loss of just one finalist, Joy Giovanni. Hemme was announced as the winner of the competition on September 20, with her prize being a one year contract with WWE with remuneration of US$250,000. Hemme began her WWE career as a member of the RAW roster. She quickly began a feud with Carmella DeCesare, the runner-up of the Diva Search. The feud culminated in a "lingerie pillow fight" at Taboo Tuesday on October 19, with Hemme defeating her opponent by pinfall.

Following her feud with DeCesare, Hemme began a rivalry with WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus, with Stratus ostensibly scornful of Hemme's appearance in the April 2005 issue of Playboy. Hemme eventually challenged Stratus to a match at WrestleMania 21, with Stratus's nemesis Lita training her in the weeks preceding the event. At WrestleMania 21 on April 3, Stratus defeated Hemme to retain her title. In the months after WrestleMania, Hemme began another feud with Victoria, who claimed to be jealous of the opportunities afforded to Hemme. The feud culminated in a bout at Vengeance on June 26, which Victoria won after countering Hemmes sunset flip move by using the ropes to pin Hemme.

With her feud with Victoria over, Hemme briefly aligned herself with Eugene before she and Stacy Keibler were traded to SmackDown! in exchange for Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson on August 25, with their first match being a WWE.com exclusive lingerie pillow fight with one another. Hemme then feuded with Melina, the valet of MNM, in the process joining forces with the Legion of Doom. At No Mercy on October 9, Hemme and the Legion of Doom defeated MNM in a six-person intergender tag team match, with Hemme executing the signature finishing maneuver of the Legion of Doom, the Doomsday Device, on Melina. Her feud with Melina continued into November, with Melina defeating Hemme in two televised singles bouts.

On November 30, Hemme debuted in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), a WWE developmental territory, aligning herself with Matt Cappotelli in opposition to Aaron Stevens, Beth Phoenix and Shelly Martinez. On December 5, Hemme announced on her website that she would be training full-time in OVW. She was released by WWE that same month. The release happened shortly after WWE asked her to relocate to Louisville, Kentucky to train at OVW. The company cited budget cuts and the creative team having nothing for her as the reason for her dismissal.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

2006–Present
Christy Hemme at an iMPACT taping in Orlando, Florida
Christy Hemme at an iMPACT taping in Orlando, Florida

Hemme signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in April 2006, and she debuted on April 23, 2006 at Lockdown, giving an envelope to commentator Mike Tenay containing the announcement that Larry Zbyszko had been placed on probation and Raven (whom Zbyszko had fired earlier that year in kayfabe) had been reinstated. In addition to her hosting role on TNA Impact!, she is also the co-host of the Internet show TNA Global Impact! with Jeremy Borash. At "TNA Hardcore War", Hemme refereed a match between Traci and Gail Kim. In July 2006, she was featured on the Women of Action special.

In September 2006, Hemme recorded a song entitled "Society Box", which was featured on TNA's November 21, 2006 music release, 3rd Degree Burns. She also traveled to Windsor, Ontario to train under TNA agent Scott D'Amore in between TNA TV tapings. She also won TNA's Knockout of the Year for 2006.

On January 14, 2007 at Final Resolution, Christy came out and interrupted the Voodoo Kin Mafia and cut a promo the involvement of women in wrestling. She said that she wanted to wrestle too - and the mostly male crowd in the TNA arena jeered her. Kip James called her a slut, which garnered him a slap from Hemme, while B.G. James attempted to play peacemaker. In the following weeks, Kip and Hemme got into a few arguments over his lack of respect for her, and for women as a whole.

Hemme made her TNA in-ring debut at Against All Odds where she wrestled and defeated "The Big Fat Oily Guy" in a Tuxedo Match. On the March 8 version of iMPACT, Hemme asked Jim Cornette for a match pitting VKM against her new, previously undisclosed, team, at Destination X. Cornette consented and booked the match. On the pay-per-view, Hemme introduced The Heartbreakers. Despite Hemme's attempts to give Kip James a "low blow", VKM defeated her team, who she later browbeat at ringside. Hemme later announced that she had found another team to face the VKM. At Lockdown, the mystery team was revealed to be Serotonin, but VKM defeated them as well. She then brought in Basham and Damaja as her new permanent tag team in her battle with VKM. They beat Kip James in a handicap match at Sacrifice while BG James was attacked by them. At Slammiversary, VKM beat Basham and Damaja, but VKM's associate Lance Hoyt turned on them and kissed Christy. Hoyt then formed a partnership with Jimmy Rave, named The Rock n' Rave Infection.

She made her iMPACT in-ring debut on September 27 in a losing effort in a 5-way Knockouts match. During the contest she debuted a new signature move, a diving variation of a split legged leg drop, known as the F.F.G. - Flying Firecrotch Guillotine. At Bound for Glory, Christy participated in a Knockouts Gauntlet battle royal to crown the first TNA Women's Champion, but was quickly squashed and eliminated by Awesome Kong.

In the winter of 2007, Hemme, Rave, and Hoyt entered into a feud with the LAX faction after being attacked several times by a mysterious, and thought to be male, assailant. However, the assailant was revealed to be Shelly Martinez at Final Resolution following LAX's victory over the "Infection."

Shortly after Final Resolution, The Rock 'n Rave Infection began a new gimmick, acting as though they were a rock band with Hemme portraying the lead singer. At Lockdown, Christy participated in the first ever "Queen of the Cage" match which was won by Roxxi Laveaux. At Sacrifice, Christy participated in the first ever Knockouts "Make Over Battle Royal" which was won by Gail Kim.

Independent circuit and movie career

In November 2006, Hemme participated in the Queens of Chaos shows in Paris, France. She wrestled two matches with April Hunter; Hemme won the first match, but lost the second. She then defeated British wrestler Minx to earn the right to referee the championship match, which was eventually won by Hunter. On July 21, 2007, Hemme defeated Ann Brookstone at a Heavy on Wrestling event in Superior, Wisconsin with Nora Greenwald acting as Special Guest Referee.

In December 2006, Hemme recorded a scene for the Bloodstained Memoirs, a wrestling documentary. Hemme made her acting debut in the film Fallen Angels, portraying the deadly sin "Lust". She will also be appearing in another horror film tentatively titled Bubba's Chili Parlor, playing a zombie.

On September 22, 2007, Christy appeared in the main event at a Women's Superstar Unleashed (WSU) event in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey.

Music career

Christy Hemme is a founder and lead singer in HEMME. The band released five songs on their MySpace, "In This Moment", "Visit Me Mom", "Shine", "Dear You" and "Dirty". Their debut album "Questions..." is yet to be released.