Stephanie McMahon and AJ Lee addressed the “elephant in the room” regarding their infamous social media exchange from 2015. Appearing on the “What’s Your Story?” podcast, the two discussed the moment Lee publicly called out the then-WWE Chief Brand Officer regarding the disparity in pay between male and female talent.
The controversy began more than a decade ago when McMahon tweeted support for Patricia Arquette’s Oscars speech advocating for equal rights. Lee responded by pointing out that despite female wrestlers having high merchandise sales and rated television segments, they received a fraction of the wages and screen time compared to the men.
McMahon admitted during the podcast that she appreciated Lee’s directness, even if the delivery was personal. “I was actually happy that you posted that,” McMahon said. “I wasn’t happy that it was directed at me because it wasn’t anything I had direct control over. But I was really happy that you did because that movement, the whole women’s evolution in WWE, it didn’t happen because of executives or it didn’t happen because, I mean, maybe along the way, people voicing their opinions — but it really happened because of the women who paved the way all the way back to the beginning of all of these incredible women who have been inside the squared circle no matter what promotion they were in.”
McMahon further noted that the “Give Divas a Chance” trend would not have gained traction without talent willing to challenge the status quo. “But then for our audience, when they started the hashtag ‘Give Divas a Chance’ at that time, that’s what couldn’t be ignored,” McMahon continued. “And the audience would never have gotten behind the movement if it weren’t for people like you who actually stood up for women publicly and take on the machine a little bit. It was a big deal, I thought.”
Lee acknowledged the risk involved with sending the tweet but stood by her decision, believing that significant change requires putting oneself on the line. “I feel like change doesn’t happen unless there’s sacrifice,” Lee said. “You have to be willing to lose everything to get what you want. I feel like in every aspect of life — playing it safe might give you a safe life, but I don’t know if it gives you an exceptional life. And so I felt like that was worth it, whatever backlash was going to be. But I thought you were cool after. Like, everyone was pretty chill. It was business and I appreciate that.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit ‘What’s Your Story?’ with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. Watch the full episode of ‘What’s Your Story?’ on YouTube.
Following her return to WWE in September 2025, she will compete in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series this Saturday, November 29, at Petco Park in San Diego. The Premium Live Event will stream live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix internationally.
