Carmella Lashes Out At WWE Over Her WWE Release – Provides Her Side Of The Story

03/07/2025 01:27 AM

Carmella recently shared details about her exit from WWE in an interview with Kail Lowry for the “Barely Famous” show.

Carmella revealed that her WWE contract was unfrozen without her being notified, despite suffering nerve damage in her foot. Carmella’s contract expired late last month and wasn’t renewed after a lengthy absence due to health complications related to her pregnancy. She discussed her pregnancy, the nerve damage issues, and how she learned her contract would not be renewed.

You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:

On her pregnancy: "A handful of women have gotten pregnant while under contract and basically, they freeze your contract while you're pregnant. They pay you, which is so incredible. They don't have to pay you while you're pregnant, and they paid me, and they've paid every woman who has been pregnant before under contract. I'm so grateful for that. I will say, I did offer to work when I was pregnant. 'Please, I know I can't wrestle, but let me go on the road. Let me do interviews. I'll do kick-off shows. I'll do panels. Let me contribute.' I didn't want them to think I was cool sitting at home, getting paid, and not working. They were like, 'No, stay at home, it's fine.' I did, I stayed at home, and they were really cool about it. Usually, what's happened in the past with women who have been pregnant under contract is they have their baby, they recover, and every postpartum journey is so different. I don't want to speak on anyone else's recovery. Mine was obviously a lot more difficult because of the nerve damage with my foot. I let them know the day I had my son, 'This is what happened, this is what's going on.’"

On her WWE contract coming to an end: "When I had the nerve damage, [my doctor] was like, 'It'll just resolve in like four to six weeks and you'll be fine.' Now, months and months are going by and it's not getting better. I'm getting all these tests, seeing specialists, and I've been in touch with WWE the entire way, telling them what was going on and everything like that. Fast forward until a few weeks ago and I got a call saying my contract was up in 10 days. Basically, what happened was, usually when you're injured, your contract is on a pause. They take however long the contract is paused, whether it's during pregnancy, postpartum, or just a regular injury you get in the ring, your contract is paused for a certain amount of time. Then, when you go back to work, however long it was paused for, they tack on to the end of the contract. That's the impression that I was under. Come to find out, the way it worked out, my contract was paused for seven weeks after I had my son and then reinstated. I didn't know. Nobody told me that I only had seven weeks off after my son and that they were going to reinstate it. I basically had a year left on my contract when I got pregnant. When it was reinstated, January 1, 2024, they just picked that date and that's the date that it got reinstated, January to the following February, which is where we're at now, it's expired, and that's that.

"Basically, when I got pregnant, they sent me a letter and they gave me an X amount of days off for being pregnant and then seven weeks post-partum. Basically, they anticipated how long it would take me to recover postpartum. I assume they give this number to all the women who get pregnant. They said in this letter, 'No matter what, when you return to wrestling, these dates will all change.' It's kind of a placeholder date and number and period of time you have off, but when you return, that's the date we're going to take and the contract will be frozen for the amount of time you were out. Say I was out 300 days. They're going to freeze your contract for whatever amount of time, but once I comeback, they would add 300 days back onto my contract. That's the impression I was under because that's how it's worked for other women in the past and that's how it's worked when you're injured or anything. Every woman is so different. Some girls have been out for six months postpartum. Some 14 months, five months, eight months, everyone's recovery is different. It's not like you can put an exact timeline on when you'll return. I was completely shocked they had only given me seven weeks and then reinstated my contract but didn't tell me. I didn't go back to work. Even if I was completely healthy and didn't have nerve damage in my foot, there was no way I was returning seven weeks postpartum."

On whether WWE knew about the nerve damage: "Yes, that's why I was also confused because it said, 'these dates will change based off your medical condition.' I have a medical condition and I assume they put that in there for any pregnant woman because you don't know what will happen. I was completely shocked and had no idea. I got a phone call a few weeks ago saying, 'We want to let you know, your contract is up in 12 days and we're not renewing it.’"

On her reaction to the news: "It hurt. It really hurt. I was upset and disappointed. They knew about my injury and I was doing everything in my power to heal and get better. The same day I got the phone call, I was at my spine specialist and neurologist getting different tests and results and talking about options. My foot is getting better, it's just not 100% yet. The kicker is, I offered to go back to work last summer. I was maybe eight months postpartum and I reached out to the head of everything and I was like — I wasn't sure he knew I had nerve damage, but I laid everything out for him and I was like, 'I can't wrestle, but I'd love to contribute any way that I can. Here is my pitch.' I had an idea of working with this tag team and being a manager. Carmella is a huge personality and I love talking on the microphone, so let me help another team out. 'I can't wrestle, but let me contribute.' He loved the idea, he put me in touch with the head of creative. 'Let's get it going. I can't wait to see you,' was what he told me, point blank. I was in touch with creative, they got medical clearance from my personal doctor who said I could travel but not wrestle. Then, radio silence. I didn't hear from anyone. That was the end of July, I was in the middle of collaborating with them on this."

On not hearing from anyone from WWE: "Ghosted. Completely ghosted. It hurts because I feel I've always been a company girl and I've done whatever they needed me to do. I represent the company in a professional way and do what is asked of me. I've never gone off script or done anything like, 'Shoot, maybe I shouldn't have done that.' I do everything that is asked of me and it feels like a shitty way to end a 12 year career with the company. Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I had a baby? It is because I had a baby, point blank. They weren't giving me any answers on the phone either. 'Why? What's happening?' They were like, 'This is just what we're going with right now.' I don't even think they said that, it was just, 'I'll put you in touch with legal.' Legal? I just want to know why this is happening. This doesn't feel right."

On WWE keeping Corey Graves on: "That's also what bothers me, it doesn't bother me that he's still with the company, I'm so glad he has a job and he's still there, but he still has a job. We had a kid and he has a job, but I don't. How is that fair? It's wild. It's so hurtful. The fact that I went above and beyond and tried to go back. It's not like I was, 'Let me sit at home and collect my paycheck and screw you guys.' I tried to go back."

On not getting other opportunities to do things the way Graves and Big E were during their injures: "Why wasn't I afforded those same opportunities? That's what I keep asking myself because I feel like I have a lot to offer. I have a fanbase, I represent the company well, why wasn't I given an opportunity somewhere else when I've shown interest and shown that I wanted to contribute in any way that I could. They didn't give the opportunity. Is it because I'm a woman? I don't want to keep saying these things but it is 2025 and we still have a long way to go with equality. I think the women there are extremely underpaid compared to the men. That's just a fact. Everyone there knows it. The women working there know it. They maybe can't say it because they're working there. Let me say it. I'm going to say it and speak up for them because it's important. There is some work to do, I feel like," she said. "I could have done backstage interviews. Just let me contribute. When you're paying somebody and they're not able to do their job, let's find something else. If there was some communication, 'We know you're injured and you can't wrestle right now, why don't you come back in a few months or when you feel better. Let's revisit the conversation.' I wasn't even given a conversation. Just, 'We're not renewing your contract.' You have 12 days to figure out how to make money and support my family? I was so shocked that I didn't even really know what was happening. I was so confused by all of it."

On WWE's control over the contract: "What it comes back to with legal is, at any point, WWE can change their mind. They can decide to extend your contract when you're injured or not extend it. In my case, for whatever reason, they decided to not extend it. I don't know why. There is no rhyme or reason. It just is what it is."

On a potential WWE return: "Why would you want to be somewhere that doesn't want you? It's like you're in a relationship and someone is trying to break up with you. 'No, don't leave me. I promise.' No, you're not wanted in that relationship. It's not for me and I truly feel that door is closed. I'm not saying forever. It's not like Carmella may never make another appearance. I think that would be great to eventually put my Jordans back on a moonwalk back out there and be in front of the fans. I think someday, it will, but right now, it's just not for me. This is the universe's way of telling me there is something else for you. I'm excited for that.

"I'm not sitting here trying to disparage WWE, but I want to be real honest because it's 2025 and we still have a long way to go for women and moms and pregnancy and health and all of it. I feel like this conversation needs to be had because, I had a baby and now I'm not working, and that sucks. That's just the reality of the situation. I feel like I'm being punished because I had a baby. I wouldn't change a damn thing. I'm obsessed with my son and this is my life. I would do it a million times over again, but it's just the reality of the situation."

On what she would like to see improved in WWE: "Communication, for sure. There needs to be more communication. There needs to be something that is put in place for moms in this workspace. What that looks like, I don't know, but I feel as an athlete, we should be able to have children and still have a career. It should be possible. There are other women who have done it in WWE. There have been a few. Not a lot, but me sharing this, hopefully for any other woman in that locker room right now contemplating having a baby but still wants their career, you just have to be careful because you just don't know. There are other women who have had babies and gone back, but they also didn't get injured and I did get injured during childbirth. That is unfortunate, but it's the reality and it happens. I feel like people don't talk about these things. You can hurt giving birth. Knock on wood, I'm going to be okay and recovering, it's still very real. That's again why I feel hurt that there is no other avenue and path. 'We only want you as a wrestler and you can't be a wrestler so you're no good to us.'

"Moving forward, as moms, I would like more support backstage for these moms. Even if I were to go back, I would have had to leave my son at home with my mom and travel for two days and then come back home. Something put in place where women are able to bring their kids to work and have them be in a safe space and not have to worry about putting them in a hotel with a nanny. This isn't a normal job. This isn't like bringing your baby to a desk every day at work. You have to travel all over the world. Some more support for the moms backstage."

On if she was worried about speaking up: "No. That was never an option for me. I feel it's so important to speak up on this. As a mom, I have two stepdaughters, I have a platform where I have a lot of female followers and female fans. I need to speak up on this because if I don't, it's going to happen again. Maybe not in WWE, but somewhere else. If this could help one company or one woman fight for herself or her career, then I'm so proud of that. It's so important to speak openly and for women to champion for each other and rally around each other. I was getting so many questions, 'Why aren't you re-signing? Why didn't you go back? You just want to be mom?' First of all, there's nothing wrong with being a mom. Number two, that wasn't the truth. I felt like I needed to address this once and for all and say it wasn't up to me. This isn't my choice. This is what they decided and it's the truth. There is never any harm for speaking your truth."

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