Leah Van Dale—formerly known to WWE fans as Carmella—is opening up about how life has changed since her departure from the company, and how stepping away from the business has brought a healthy new dynamic to her relationship with husband Corey Graves.
Appearing on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, Van Dale shared insight into the shift in their household now that she’s no longer active on the WWE roster, while Graves remains a key voice on commentary for both NXT and Monday Night Raw.
“It was difficult, I guess, at first,” Van Dale admitted. “I don’t really want to watch the show. I’m just so removed from it. But I’m so supportive of my husband. It’s been his dream his entire life to be in WWE, and he loves it, so of course I support him.”
Van Dale, whose contract expired while she was on maternity leave, explained that the distance from WWE has helped the couple reclaim a clearer boundary between work and home life.
“For so long, for years, we would take it home with us. We’d talk about it constantly—it was all-consuming,” she said. “But now, he can come home, vent if he needs to, and I understand it because I was there. But we can also say, ‘Okay, let’s stop talking about that,’ and just live our real life—which is great.”
While she remains proud of her WWE journey, Van Dale emphasized the value of creating space for personal growth, family, and emotional balance.
Graves continues to thrive on the commentary desk across WWE programming, while Van Dale has been candid in recent interviews about her evolving identity as a mother and performer outside the squared circle.
To hear the full interview and more of Leah Van Dale’s thoughts on her WWE departure and life after wrestling, check out Page Six Radio on SiriusXM.
For more updates on Corey Graves, Leah Van Dale, and the latest in WWE, keep it locked to PWMania.com.
