Are Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman friends in real life?

Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman have been associated with each other since the RAW after SummerSlam 2015. Braun Strowman, who had little experience even on the WWE developmental level, debuted on national television and became one of WWE's biggest stars from 2016 until his release in 2021.

Just short of two months after Braun Strowman was released by WWE, Bray Wyatt was cut as well. The two spent nearly a year allied together and a few months as rivals in 2020. But are they friends in real life?

The answer is yes. Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman are both great friends in real life outside the ring. Braun Strowman is even the godfather to Bray Wyatt's son Knash Sixx Rotunda.

When Bray Wyatt was released by WWE, Braun Strowman posted a photo on social media in support of his friend:

Brother I’m waiting!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/7UOA8N8XgT

— Adam Scherr (@Adamscherr99) July 31, 2021

Why did Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman not speak for a long time?

Between the summer of 2018 and post-WrestleMania 2019, Bray Wyatt was completely absent and went under the radar. This was all while he was working on the idea of 'The Fiend' character - a repackaged version of Bray Wyatt that was different from his Eater of Worlds gimmick.

Braun Strowman revealed on the NotSam Wrestling podcast that while Bray Wyatt was away brainstorming, the two had no contact. He said:

"We went for a while without even talking because he went so deep into this character; he shut himself out from the world. I remember watching the very first episode of the Firefly Funhouse and was thinking, 'What the hell is this? Bray, what are you doing?' But the more I watched, I couldn't turn away from it. It was so intriguing what he was doing, and then they brought 'The Fiend' out and I was like, 'Alright, it's unbelievable.'"

Braun Strowman had nothing but praise for Bray Wyatt. He credited Bray Wyatt for teaching him about the business, how to book hotels, where to eat and how to do everything on the road when he had no idea. He said that he would forever be indebted to him and called him a "brother".

It's clear how much of an impact Bray Wyatt has had on Braun Strowman. The duo would essentially carry the SmackDown brand for four months of the pandemic era.

It's safe to say that the two share a very close relationship.