Eva Marie

Natalie Eva Marie Nelson (born September 19, 1984) is an American actress, fashion designer, model, and professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, from 2013–2017 and 2020–2021, where she performed under the ring name Eva Marie. In 2013, she signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to begin her training. In July 2013, she made her main roster debut and became the manager of The Bella Twins later that month. She also began starring in WWE's reality television series Total Divas as part of the main cast. In mid-2015, she started to wrestle on WWE's developmental brand, NXT. In April 2016, Marie returned to the main roster, officially becoming a part of the SmackDown brand in July 2016. She left WWE in August 2017. That same year, Marie made her film debut in Inconceivable. The following years saw her taking on several other projects, which included appearances in multiple television shows and launching a fitness program, in addition to a fashion line, under her NEM brand. After signing a new contract with WWE in late 2020, Marie returned to the promotion in June 2021 on the Raw brand. In November, it was reported she had been released during a mass layoff, just as she had been written off TV to resume and focus on her acting career, similarly to her previous exit from the company. Early life Natalie Eva Marie Nelson was born in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Walnut Creek, California, the youngest child of Barry and Josie Nelson. Her mother is Mexican, while her father is Italian. She has three older brothers (Nathan, Neal and Nick) and was raised in Concord, California. She wanted to become a professional soccer player, although her plans were put on hold when she suffered an ankle injury in her senior year of high school in 2002. Eva Marie, who played as a striker, recovered and continued playing at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, where she received her associate degree in art. She received Junior College All-American honors and transferred to Arizona State University, although a lack of self-confidence led her to stop playing. She transferred to California State University, Fullerton where the soccer coach persuaded her to play again. However, her National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility had expired due to their "five-year clock" rule.