Carmella (Leah Van Dale) expressed feeling punished by WWE for having a baby, stating the company "ghosted" her as her contract neared its end. After dealing with health issues post-birth, she hasn’t wrestled since March 2023. In a clip from her appearance on the Barely Famous Podcast, she reflected on her newfound freedom beyond the ring.

“What’s next for Leah? For so long, it’s like, ‘Oh, Carmella.’ It’s like, no. I can now fully be Leah and do what I want to do,” she shared, revealing she had been sidelined for nearly two years against her wishes.

Carmella added, “Let’s talk about it. Let’s have the conversations that women aren’t having. Is it because I’m a woman? Is it because I had a baby? It just feels like a shitty way to end a 12-year career with the company.” She highlighted the disparity in treatment, mentioning her partner Corey Graves still has a job despite their shared parenthood.

She shared her shock when she received a call saying her contract was up soon, stating, “[Everyone] ghosted. Completely ghosted.” Carmella pondered, “What if this is the end of my career? What am I doing with my life?” She expressed concern over not being offered opportunities elsewhere.

When asked about her peers still with WWE, she noted feeling punished for motherhood, saying, “I feel like I’m being punished because I had a baby.” Responding to the possibility of WWE changing their mind about her, she questioned, “Why would you want to be somewhere that doesn’t want you?”

Carmella emphasized the need for change in the industry: “I wish more for women in general and moms and especially athletes. You shouldn’t have to choose one. Why can’t you have both?” The full interview will air on March 7th.

Carmella speaks out about her contract ending with WWE, says she felt ghosted and feels like she’s being punished because she had a baby.

“Let’s have the conversations that women aren’t having…is it because I’m a woman? Because I had a baby? It just feels like a shitty way to… pic.twitter.com/CY0xvrA3kX

, Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) March 5, 2025