Layla El has opened up on a major life change that has kept her away from the ring, revealing she became a mother, and that the only thing that could pull her back to wrestling is a LayCool reunion.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Layla shared that she welcomed a daughter in 2022, a development she has kept almost entirely private. “I had a baby girl in 2022, so I’m a mama,” she said. “She’s my heart, she changed my world. I don’t share much on social media about it.” She said her daughter turned four on the day the interview was recorded.
The pregnancy came as a complete surprise. “I got pregnant when I was 44, and here’s the thing, wasn’t trying, didn’t do IVF, didn’t even think it was ever gonna happen,” Layla said, explaining she had assumed she might not be able to have children given a family history of cancer.
Motherhood is a big reason a return to the ring is not in her plans, along with a desire to protect her legacy. “I’m too old, and I’m out of shape. No one wants to see it,” she said. “I don’t want to embarrass myself. I don’t want to tarnish what I’ve had in my past career. I’d rather leave it the way it was.”
There is one exception. Layla said she could not turn down a chance to reunite with Michelle McCool as LayCool. “I can’t say never, because if there was ever an opportunity for Michelle and I to do something like LayCool, that would be the only thing I think I would come back for,” she said.
She also revealed that WWE has come calling over the years, including for a Royal Rumble, but the timing never lined up. “I got invited to a couple of things,” Layla said. “The last time I think they invited me was around 2021, but I was pregnant. I didn’t tell people.” Asked whether she would consider a one-off appearance at something like an anniversary show, she left the door open. “Maybe. If the offer comes in, probably, yeah, I probably would say yes.”
If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit Chris Van Vliet with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
