Carmella speaks out for the first time since her departure.
After a 12-year run with the WWE, Leah Van Dale a.k.a. Carmella’s time with the company came to an end when she was informed that her contract was coming up and it was not renewed.
For the first time since her departure, Carmella spoke about the matter at hand when she guest appeared on the Barely Famous podcast. A preview of the podcast was released on Instagram and she questioned if she was not renewed because of her being a woman or did it have to do with her having a baby.
She described the way her time at WWE ended as ‘sh*tty.’ Carmella added that she was ghosted by the company and feels she’s being punished because she had a child.
What’s next for Leah? And for so long it’s like, oh, Carmella and Carmella. It’s like, no. I can fully now be Leah and do what I wanna do and I don’t know what that is yet.
Is it because I’m a woman? Is it because I had a baby? And it just feels like a sh*tty way to end a 12-year career with the company. This is how it ended.
He (Corey Graves) still has a job. We had a kid and he has a job but I don’t. I mean, fast-forward until a couple of weeks ago and then I got a call saying that my contract was up in 10 days… Ghosted. Ghosted. Completely ghosted… What if this is the end of my career? What am I doing with my life? What do I have to offer? Why wasn’t I given an opportunity somewhere else?… I feel like I’m being punished because I had a baby.
Why would you wanna be somewhere that doesn’t want you? I wish more for women in general and moms and especially athletes. I feel like you shouldn’t have to choose one. Why can’t you have both?
Carmella welcomed a baby into the world with WWE commentator Corey Graves in November 2023. She had been undergoing therapy for drop foot that arose after childbirth.
She last wrestled in March 2023.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit the Barely Famous podcast with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
