Carmella was recently released by WWE after spending the past couple of years recovering from issues stemming from the birth of her first child. We had expected the multi-time Women's Champion to eventually return to the ring, but it appears WWE felt differently.
As promised, Carmella broke her silence on what happened during an appearance on the Barely Famous podcast. She covered a wide range of topics, including her desire to continue appearing on television while pregnant.
"A handful of women have gotten pregnant while under contract and basically, they freeze your contract while you’re pregnant," she explained. "They pay you, which is so incredible. They don’t have to pay you while you’re pregnant, and they paid me, and they’ve paid every woman who has been pregnant before under contract. I’m so grateful for that."
"I will say, I did offer to work when I was pregnant. ‘Please, I know I can’t wrestle, but let me go on the road. Let me do interviews. I’ll do kick-off shows. I’ll do panels. Let me contribute," Carmella continued. "I didn’t want them to think I was cool sitting at home, getting paid, and not working. They were like, ‘No, stay at home, it’s fine.’ I did, I stayed at home, and they were really cool about it."
After further explaining the post-pregnancy issues she suffered, Carmella revealed that WWE unfroze her contract 7 weeks after she gave birth without telling her. As a result, when the call came through that her deal had expired and would not be renewed, it came as a complete surprise.
While there was a clear lack of communication, it doesn't sound like there was any ill intent on WWE's part. However, Carmella did question whether she was being punished for being pregnant and argued that the likes of Big E and Corey Graves (her husband) have been given on-screen opportunities even when they're unable to compete.
"Why wasn’t I afforded those same opportunities?" she asked. "That’s what I keep asking myself because I feel like I have a lot to offer. I have a fanbase, I represent the company well, why wasn’t I given an opportunity somewhere else when I’ve shown interest and shown that I wanted to contribute in any way that I could. They didn’t give the opportunity."
"Is it because I’m a woman? I don’t want to keep saying these things but it is 2025 and we still have a long way to go with equality. I think the women there are extremely underpaid compared to the men," Carmella added. "That’s just a fact. Everyone there knows it. The women working there know it. They maybe can’t say it because they’re working there. Let me say it."
Reiterating that she feels WWE punished her for having a baby, Carmella said she's open to returning to WWE for the fans "but right now, it’s just not for me."
Given the severity of the accusations she's made in this interview, bringing her back likely won't be a priority for the company. If it was, they'd have never allowed her contract to expire. Alexa Bliss also had a lengthy recovery time after her pregnancy but is back to being a top star on TV.
Stay tuned for updates as we have them.