Carmella Reveals Her Pitches To Make WWE Return Were Eventually Met With 'Radio Silence'

Carmella has revealed she pitched to return to WWE after the birth of her and Corey Graves' child but she was eventually met with 'radio silence' by the company.

Carmella had been off WWE TV since March 2023 due to her pregnancy and the former SmackDown Women's Champion recently departed WWE after the expiration of her contract.

Appearing on the Barely Famous podcast, Carmella (real name Leah Van Dale) noted she was not expecting her contract to expire as WWE typically adds injury time to contracts when a talent is out of action. She discovered in early 2025, however, that WWE only added seven weeks of injury time to her contract and she was told 12 days before her deal expired that WWE weren't renewing her contract.

Van Dale was unable to return to WWE TV to wrestle due to suffering nerve damage in her foot as part of pregnancy complications. The 37-year-old revealed she pitched to come back to the company in a different role but she was eventually "ghosted" by WWE.

On receiving the phone call that WWE weren't going to renew her contract, Carmella stated:

"It hurt. It really hurt. I was upset and disappointed. They knew about my injury and I was doing everything in my power to heal and get better. The same day I got the phone call, I was at my spine specialist and neurologist getting different tests and results and talking about options. My foot is getting better, it's just not 100 per cent yet. The kicker is, I offered to go back to work last summer. I was maybe eight months postpartum and I reached out to the head of everything and I was like -- I wasn't sure he knew I had nerve damage, but I laid everything out for him and I was like, 'I can't wrestle, but I'd love to contribute any way that I can. Here is my pitch.'

"I had an idea of working with this tag team and being a manager. Carmella is a huge personality and I love talking on the microphone, so let me help another team out. 'I can't wrestle, but let me contribute.' He loved the idea, he put me in touch with the head of creative. 'Let's get it going. I can't wait to see you,' was what he told me, point blank. I was in touch with creative, they got medical clearance from my personal doctor who said I could travel but not wrestle. Then, radio silence. I didn't hear from anyone. That was the end of July, I was in the middle of collaborating with them on this.

"Ghosted. Completely ghosted. It hurts because I feel I've always been a company girl and I've done whatever they needed me to do. I represent the company in a professional way and do what is asked of me. I've never gone off script or done anything like, 'Shoot, maybe I shouldn't have done that.' I do everything that is asked of me and it feels like a sh*tty way to end a 12-year career with the company.

"Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I had a baby? It is because I had a baby, point blank. They weren't giving me any answers on the phone either. 'Why? What's happening?' They were like, 'This is just what we're going with right now.' I don't even think they said that, it was just, 'I'll put you in touch with legal.' Legal? I just want to know why this is happening. This doesn't feel right."

Carmella also questioned why she didn't receive opportunities similar to Big E and her husband Corey Graves, who were both given different roles in the company after suffering major injuries. Graves' concussion issues forced him into in-ring retirement in 2014, while Big E has not wrestled since suffering a broken neck in 2022.

"Why wasn't I afforded those same opportunities? 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 me 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," she continued.

"I think the women there are extremely underpaid compared to the men. 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. I'm going to say it and speak up for them because it's important. There is some work to do, I feel like. I could have done backstage interviews. Just let me contribute. When you're paying somebody and they're not able to do their job, let's find something else. If there was some communication, 'We know you're injured and you can't wrestle right now, why don't you come back in a few months or when you feel better? Let's revisit the conversation.' I wasn't even given a conversation. Just, 'We're not renewing your contract.' You have 12 days to figure out how to make money and support my family? I was so shocked that I didn't even really know what was happening. I was so confused by all of it."

Carmella later ruled out returning to WWE for the time being if the company reached out.

"Why would you want to be somewhere that doesn't want you? It's like you're in a relationship and someone is trying to break up with you. 'No, don't leave me. I promise.' No, you're not wanted in that relationship. It's not for me and I truly feel that door is closed. I'm not saying forever. It's not like Carmella may never make another appearance. I think that would be great to eventually put my Jordans back on a moonwalk back out there and be in front of the fans. I think someday, it will, but right now, it's just not for me. This is the universe's way of telling me there is something else for you. I'm excited for that," she added.

H/T Fightful

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