Former WWE Star Velveteen Dream Reportedly Arrested In Orlando, Fla.

Former WWE NXT top star Patrick Clark, also known as Velveteen Dream, was arrested in Orange Count, Fla. While details are limited, Wrestlingnews.com reports Clark was charged on an out-of-county warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia. Clark was arrested on Friday, and has a hearing scheduled for September 18.

Clark did not respond to a request for comment. This article will be updated if and when it does.

Velveteen Dream seemed on to be paving a path to a return with several former WWE and NXT stars returning since the onset of the Triple H era. Several familiar faces from NXT’s famed Black and Gold era have recently returned, including Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Karrion Kross, Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano, who returned last week in Toronto, Canada.

Velveteen Dream checked every box as former NXT star who could potentially return to WWE after he shined during the NXT Black and Gold era. The circumstances behind Velveteen Dream’s WWE release, however, were far more controversial than the budget cuts that befell many of the other recently rehired former NXT stars.

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Velveteen Dream was singled out for sexual misconduct during the #SpeakingOut movement in 2020, however after an internal investigation, WWE did not find any incriminating evidence on Velveteen Dream.

“You know, in this day today, accusations are made and you take them all very seriously,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque told Brett Brookhouse of CBSSports.com.

“You look into them the best you can, and you find out what is there and what isn’t. In this situation, [Clark] was also involved in a car accident. That’s what took him off TV. In the moment, all this other stuff happens and you look into it and you find that there is a situation that people bring to everyone’s attention, you look into it and find that it is what it is and there’s nothing there.”

Vindicating WWE investigation or not, the court of public opinion had already condemned Velveteen Dream as many overzealous fans pushed the #FireVelveteenDream hashtag. Mind you, many of the same fans who chanted “thank you Vince” on SmackDown after McMahon retired over his own sexual misconduct investigation—and were silent about Matt Riddle’s allegations during this same timeframe—refused to afford Velveteen Dream the benefit of the doubt when to his own situation.

Velveteen Dream was ultimately released over reported behavioral issues, though Dream himself blamed the 2020 allegations for his WWE downfall after a meteoric rise in NXT.

“The allegations from April 20 2020 have effectively derailed any upward momentum I had professionally. And has ultimately resulted in my termination with WWE,” said Velveteen Dream in an Instagram Story (h/t Wrestling Inc).

“My name is Patrick Clark, not the Velveteen Dream. Velveteen Dream is a character that I have spent years developing and trying to bring to life. The success of the Dream character, relied heavily on kayfabe, my ability to blur Patrick Clark from Tough Enough with this over the top personality.”

Apparently angling for a comeback, Patrick Clark recently returned to Instagram, and wasted little time teasing a WWE return by adding #BringBackVelveteenDream hashtag to his account.

“Eye No There Is A Heaven/Eye No There Is A Hell/Listen 2 Me People [I’ve] Got/A Story 2 Tell,” wrote Clark.

Velveteen Dream’s apparent arrest couldn’t have come at a worst time, and a once-possible WWE return now seems like a longshot at best.