Leah Van Dale, formerly known as Carmella, is sharing her thoughts on her release from the WWE for the first time since her contract expired and was not renewed. The 37-year-old, who just had a son with her husband, WWE/NXT announcer Corey Graves in November, has been sidelined from WWE programming since March 2023.
Van Dale, who was initially sidelined from Drop Foot, which is a condition where someone has difficulty lifting the front part of their foot, causing them to drag their toes on the ground when walking, has expressed the difficulty of staying in shape as a pro wrestler in the past, particularly when it comes to body image and injuries, though she has always found a way to bounce back — which is perhaps what makes her release from the WWE, where she believes she was “ghosted” and “punished for having a baby” all the more upsetting to her.
“Letâs talk about it. Letâs have the conversations that women arenât having. Is it because Iâm a woman? Is it because I had a baby? It just feels like a s—– way to end a 12-year career with the company, that this is how it ended,” Van Dale said on a recent episode of the Barely Famous podcast.
â(Corey Graves) still has a job,” Van Dale continued. “We had a kid, and he had a job, but I donât. I mean, I guess fast forward until a few weeks ago and I got a call saying that my contract was up in ten days. [Everyone] 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 wasnât I given an opportunity somewhere else? I feel like Iâm being punished because I had a baby.â
When asked if she’d like to return to the WWE in the future, Van Dale replied, âWhy would you want to be somewhere that doesnât want you? I wish more for women in general and moms and especially athletes. You shouldnât have to choose one. Why canât you have both?â
What do you think of the recent commends made by Carmella on her release from WWE? Let us know in the comments.
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