In a recent interview with Kail Lowry for the “Barely Famous” show, Carmella revealed specifics about her departure from the WWE.
Despite having nerve damage in her foot, Carmella disclosed that her WWE contract was unfrozen without informing her. After a protracted absence owing to pregnancy-related health issues, Carmella’s contract expired late last month and was not renewed. She talked about how she found out her contract would not be renewed, her pregnancy, and the problems with nerve damage.
The following are some of the podcast’s highlights:
“A few women have gotten pregnant while under contract, and basically, they freeze your contract while you’re pregnant,” she said about her pregnancy. You get paid, which is amazing. They have paid me and all previous pregnant women under contract, but they are not required to pay you while you are pregnant. I am really appreciative of that. To be honest, I did offer to work when I was expecting. “Please let me go on the road; I know I can’t wrestle.” Permit me to conduct interviews. I’ll perform during kick-off events. I’ll work on panels. Permit me to add something. I didn’t want them to believe that I was cool with getting paid to sit at home and not working. “No, stay at home, it’s okay,” they said. They were really understanding when I stayed at home. Pregnant women under contract typically experience the following outcomes in the past: they give birth, recuperate, and each postpartum experience is unique. I don’t want to discuss other people’s recuperation. Naturally, mine was far more challenging due to the nerve damage in my foot. “This is what happened, this is what’s going on,” I told them the day I gave birth to my baby.
“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,'” she said at the end of her WWE contract. Month after month is now passing with no improvement. I’ve been in contact with WWE the entire time, explaining what was happening and all that, and I’m getting all these tests and seeing specialists. A few weeks ago, I received a call informing me that my contract was about to expire in ten days. Basically, what happened was that your contract is typically put on hold when you are hurt. For however long the contract is suspended, they take place. This can be during pregnancy, the postpartum period, or simply an ordinary injury sustained in the ring. They then add it to the end of the contract when you return to work, regardless of how long it was paused. It was the impression I was given. As it turned out, once I gave birth to my baby, my contract was put on hold for seven weeks before being renewed. I had no idea. No one informed me that they were going to restore my seven-week leave after having my baby. When I became pregnant, I essentially had a year remaining on my contract. They just chose January 1, 2024, as the date of reinstatement, and it was reinstated from January to February of the following year, which is where we are at the moment. After that, it lapsed.
In essence, they wrote me a letter when I became pregnant, granting me X days off for both the pregnancy and the first seven weeks after giving birth. In essence, they projected the duration of my postpartum recuperation. I suppose they provide this figure to every pregnant woman. “No matter what, these dates will all change when you return to wrestling,” they stated in this letter. It’s essentially a placeholder date, number, and duration of your leave; however, we will accept that date when you return, and the contract will be frozen for the duration of your absence. Let’s say I missed 300 days. They will freeze your contract for however long it takes, however they will add 300 days to my contract when I return. Because that’s how it’s worked for other women in the past and how it works when you’re hurt or whatever, that’s the image I had. Every lady is unique. After giving birth, some girls have been out for six months. Everybody recovers differently, whether it takes eight months, five months, or fourteen months. It’s not like you can predict with precision when you’ll be back. I was astonished to learn that they had only granted me seven weeks before resuming my contract without informing me. I didn’t return to my job. I couldn’t possibly be going back seven weeks after giving birth, even if I was perfectly healthy and my foot didn’t have any nerve damage.
“Yes, that’s why I was also confused because it said, ‘these dates will change based off your medical condition.'” is the response to the question of whether WWE was aware of the nerve damage. I suppose they include my medical status because you never know what will happen to a pregnant woman. I had no idea and was utterly startled. A few weeks ago, I received a phone call informing me that we would not be renewing your contract since it expires in 12 days.
Regarding her response to the news: “It was painful. It was quite painful. I felt dissatisfied and angry. They were aware of my injury, and I was making every effort to recover. I was receiving various tests and reports and discussing my choices with my neurologist and spine specialist on the same day I received the call. Although it’s not 100% yet, my foot is improving. The worst part is that last summer, I volunteered to return to work. I was around eight months after giving birth when I went out to the person in charge of everything and said, “I can’t wrestle, but I’d love to contribute any way that I can.” I wasn’t sure whether he was aware that I had nerve damage, but I explained everything to him. This is my proposal. My idea was to be a manager and work with this tag team. Let me assist another team because Carmella has a lot of personality and I enjoy speaking in front of the microphone. “Let me contribute, even though I can’t wrestle.” He connected me with the head of creative since he thought the idea was fantastic. “Let’s get started.” He told me straight out, “I can’t wait to see you.” I contacted Creative, and they obtained my personal physician’s medical clearance, stating that I could go but not wrestle. Then there was radio silence. Nobody got back to me. I was in the process of working with them on this around the end of July.
“Ghosted” after not receiving a response from WWE. Totally abandoned. I feel like I’ve always been a company girl and have done everything they asked me to do, therefore it stings. I fulfil my responsibilities and represent the organisation in a professional manner. Nothing like “Shoot, maybe I shouldn’t have done that” or deviating from the script has ever happened to me. I comply with all requests, and it seems like a tacky way to wrap up a twelve-year career with the corporation. Is it a result of my gender? Did I just had a baby? Simply said, it’s because I had a baby. On the phone, they were also not responding to my questions. “Why?” What is going on? “This is just what we’re going with right now,” they said. They merely stated, “I’ll put you in touch with legal,” and I don’t even believe they said that. Is it legal? All I want to know is why this is taking place. Something feels off about this.
“That’s also what bothers me, it doesn’t bother me that he’s still with the company, but I’m so glad he has a job and he’s still there,” the commenter said about WWE keeping Corey Graves on. I don’t have a job, but our child does. How fair is that? It’s crazy. It hurts so much. I went above and above by making an effort to return. “Let me sit at home and collect my pay cheque and screw you guys,” is not how I felt. I attempted to return.
Regarding not being given further chances to perform tasks in the same manner as Big E and Graves during their injuries: “Why wasn’t I given those same opportunities? I feel like I have a lot to offer, therefore I constantly asking myself that. I represent the firm well and have a fan base, so why wasn’t I given the chance elsewhere when I expressed interest and wanted to help in any way I could? They failed to provide the chance. Is it a result of my gender? I don’t want to reiterate, but we still have a long way to go in terms of equality in 2025. In my opinion, the women there receive far less money than the men. That is simply a fact. Everybody there is aware of it. The women that work there are aware of it. Since they are employed there, they might not be able to mention it. I’ll say it. It’s crucial, therefore I’m going to say it and advocate for them. I feel like I have some work to do,” she remarked. I had the option of doing backstage interviews. Allow me to contribute, please. Let’s look for someone else to do the work when you’re paying them to do it. We understand if you are injured and unable to wrestle at this time. Why don’t you return in a few months or when you feel better? Let’s talk about it again. Not even a discussion was offered to me. Simply put, “Your contract will not be renewed.” You have twelve days to figure out how to earn money so that you can provide for my family. I was so taken aback that I wasn’t even sure what was going on. It was all very confusing to me.
Regarding WWE’s authority over the contract: “The main thing with legal is that WWE has the right to change their mind at any time. When you are hurt, they can choose whether or not to extend your contract. For whatever reason, they chose not to extend it in my case. I have no idea why. There’s no logic or rhyme. It is simply what it is.
Regarding a possible WWE comeback: “What’s the point of being somewhere that doesn’t want you? It feels as though someone is attempting to end your relationship. “No, don’t abandon me.” I swear. No, that relationship does not want you. I genuinely believe that door is closed, and it’s not for me. I don’t mean forever. It’s not as though Carmella won’t show up again. Eventually putting my Jordans back on a moonwalk and being in front of the people would be fantastic, in my opinion. It’s just not for me right now, but I believe it will be someday. The universe is telling me that there is something else for you in this way. I can’t wait for that.
It’s 2025, and we still have a long way to go for women, mothers, pregnancy, health, and everything else. I’m not sitting here trying to make fun of WWE, but I want to be honest. I feel that this conversation is necessary because I am currently unemployed due to the birth of my child, which is terrible. That is simply the situation as it is. I feel like having a baby is a punishment. I wouldn’t alter a single thing. This is my life, and my son is my obsession. Even if I would do it again and again, the circumstance is what it is.
“Communication is definitely something that needs to be improved in WWE,” she said. Communication needs to be improved. Something needs to be set up in this workstation just for mothers. I’m not sure what it looks like, but I believe that athletes should be allowed to have kids and still pursue their careers. It ought should be feasible. In the WWE, other women have accomplished the same feat. A few have occurred. Not much, but I wanted to share this in the hopes that any other woman in that locker room right now who is thinking about having a child but still wants to pursue her job will take caution because you never know. I was hurt during labour, but other ladies who have given birth and returned also did not sustain any injuries. That is regrettable, but it is a fact of life and it occurs. It seems to me that these topics are not discussed. Giving birth can be painful. Even though it’s still very real, I’m going to be OK and getting better. That’s another reason I’m offended that there are no other options. “You are useless to us because we only want you as a wrestler and you are incapable of being one.”
As a mother, I would like to see more backstage assistance for these mothers going forward. I would have had to leave my son at home with my mother, travel for two days, and then return home even if I had done so. There is a system in place that allows women to bring their children to work in a secure environment without having to worry about booking a hotel room with a nanny. This job isn’t typical. This is not the same as taking your infant to work every day. You must visit every country in the world. More assistance for the mothers backstage
Regarding whether she was afraid to speak up: “No. I was never going to do that. I think it’s crucial to voice my opinion on this. I am a mother of two stepdaughters, and I have a large number of female admirers and followers on my platform. I have to speak up about this because it will happen again if I don’t. Somewhere else, perhaps, but not in WWE. I’m really proud if this helps one lady or one company stand up for herself or her job. Speaking candidly and encouraging women to support and stand for one another are crucial. Many people were asking me, “Why aren’t you re-signing?” Why did you not return? You only wish to be a mother? First of all, being a mother is perfectly acceptable. Second, that wasn’t accurate. Saying that it wasn’t up to me was something I felt compelled to do once and for all. I have no say in this. They came to this conclusion, and it is accurate. Speaking your truth can never be harmful.
Stephanie Vaquer recently discussed her WWE in-ring debut, her reunion with Giulia in NXT, and other topics in an interview with Denise Salcedo on the “Instinct Culture” podcast.
The following are some of the podcast’s highlights:
Regarding her first time in the ring: “It was a very short debut. I made my debut in Mexico, which was amazing for me because I was greeting a familiar audience that made me feel welcome. Therefore, I thought my debut there was fantastic. Indeed, there was a lot of anticipation for that debut and the opportunity to join NXT. People were waiting and delighted. It takes time, of course. Everything that goes with it, including the visa and all the paperwork, right? However, everything went smoothly, and I was eagerly anticipated by everyone.
Regarding getting back together with Giulia on NXT TV: “I’m thrilled to have both reunited with my friend Giulia and achieved success.” Having this experience with your best buddy is just a stroke of luck, isn’t it? Our encounters began nearly simultaneously. The fact that fate brought us together once more, this time in WWE, was, in all honesty, one of the things that made me feel the happiest. We had previously faced one another. We were already acquainted. Our camaraderie and chemistry were always strong, and it was wonderful to meet up here again. Fantastic. And I believe that was among the things that brought me the most joy upon my arrival. I no longer felt so isolated. Correct? Since it’s something, it’s a new world, isn’t it? Everyone, you speak the language and have some knowledge of English.
