Charlotte Flair was originally part of the Queen of the Ring cast. Flair was set to play June Byers, but she was abruptly pulled from the film. Kamille (Kailey Latimer) ultimately took on the role of Byers, one of the main rivals of Emily Bett Rickards’ Mildred Burke.
The Queen of the Ring Twitter account recently shared footage of Flair training on the set. The thread of posts also shared more details about why she was removed from the film. According to the account, Charlotte Flair was pulled by Vince McMahon because he didn’t want her featured in a small indie film.
“The incredible Charlotte Flair training with our lead Emily at OVW in the days leading up to the start of filming. WWE Studios had submitted her for the movie and she was originally cast as June Byers. But we were told Vince McMahon then personally pulled her out because we were a small independent film, not a major studio release. Charlotte played a real part in training Emily for the role and we are forever grateful for her involvement.”
The account then praised Latimer for doing a great job as Byers, which was her first acting role.
“Luckily, Kailey ‘Kamille’ Latimer was available last minute and took on the role of June, delivering a truly stellar performance. It was her first time acting and she did all of her own stunts. Had Kailey not stepped up when and how she did, who knows what would have happened. She saved the day and we love her so much! Truly a superstar. We will share more behind the scenes soon.”
This is not the first time WWE has been accused of messing with the film’s progress. The QOTR Twitter/X account also ‘recently accused the wrestling promotion of ‘sabotaging behavior.’
The incredible Charlotte Flair training with our lead Emily at OVW in the days leading up to the start of filming. WWE Studios had submitted her for the movie and she was originally cast as June Byers, but we were told Vince McMahon then personally pulled her out- (more below) pic.twitter.com/4JcscuOkxj
— Queen of the Ring (@QOTRmovie) May 22, 2025
Charlotte Flair was very close to starting filming Queen of the Ring
Queen of the Ring director Ash Avildsen previously told Jim Cornette that Flair (and Liv Morgan) were both pitched for the film by WWE. Flair was fitted for wardrobe, but she was pulled a few days before filming started. He said that he couldn’t get WWE to sign off on paperwork and couldn’t get a straight answer. However, someone told him that McMahon was mad because talent was missing WWE TV because they were on movie sets.
Although it was not confirmed, Avildsen said it was believed that Seth Rollins missing time for Captain America: Brave New World was also a point of contention with McMahon, who is no longer affiliated with WWE due to his role in an ongoing sexual assault and trafficking lawsuit.
Queen of the Ring is available to buy or rent on digital video on demand services, including Amazon Prime, now.
Read More: Emily Bett Rickards Shares Mildred Burke’s Family’s Reaction To ‘Queen Of The Ring’
