During the debut episode of Lana (CJ Perry)’s new podcast, Identity Crisis, her husband Rusev (real name Miroslav Barnyashev) opened up about his experiences dating other women during their brief separation in 2024.
Rusev candidly explained that his motivation wasn’t romantic or physical, but rather about rediscovering normal social interactions outside of marriage.
“Went on a few dates. I just wanted some conversations,” Rusev said. “I just wanted to, cuz you know I’m with her. I’ve never even talked to a woman—like honestly, you know, cuz I’m a respectful husband. I don’t do that kind of stuff. And I just wanted to see what kind of conversation I could have with another female. You know, it doesn’t have to be sleeping or anything; I just wanted to see a conversation.”
He added that the experience offered him perspective on different types of people and interactions.
“It was interesting to see, you know, the age gap—when you go with a 20-year-old or a 30-year-old, or with a 40-year-old—what the difference is. It’s not even like people who I was interested in. It’s like, I went with a classmate or a friend from back in the day, you know, which I wouldn’t have done if CJ was there. But they happen to be girls. They happen to be friends. They’re not like my girlfriends. I didn’t want to go and have sex with them. I just wanted to have a conversation. That’s all it was.”
Rusev and Lana, who married in 2016, have shared both their professional and personal journeys with fans across WWE, AEW, and now through their new podcast venture.
