Carmella is speaking out about her WWE departure after her contract expired. She went on hiatus in 2023 when she and Corey Graves welcomed their first child into the world together. She was then sidelined due to a non-wrestling-related injury called Drop Foot.
During an appearance on Kail Lowry’s podcast, Carmella revealed that her WWE contract was paused for only seven weeks during her pregnancy. She said she was unaware of this. Carmella alleged that WWE initially supported her during her pregnancy and recovery from drop foot, but communication broke down when she attempted to return.
Carmella offered to contribute in various non-wrestling roles, such as backstage interviews or management, but was told to stay home. Carmella pitched a return plan to a higher-up and creative, receiving positive feedback and medical clearance for travel. However, she was then “ghosted” by the company.
Carmella questioned why she wasn’t afforded the same chance of going from a non-wrestling role to another one, suggesting gender may have played a role. Carmella received a call informing her of her contract’s expiration with only twelve days’ notice.
She described being “completely blindsided.” She felt frustrated, especially since she was actively working on her recovery at the time. Carmella called her departure a “sh*tty way to end a 12-year career” due to a lack of communication and unanswered questions.
She felt compelled to speak out despite potential blowback. Carmella questioned the fairness of her contract not being renewed simply due to her pregnancy.
