Former WWE Superstar Leah Van Dale—best known to wrestling fans as Carmella—recently opened up about a scrapped reality TV project that would have starred her and husband Corey Graves. During an interview on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, Van Dale shared how WWE’s creative involvement derailed what could have been an authentic look into their real lives.
Following the success of their podcast Bare With Us, a production company approached the couple with the idea for a reality show focused on their off-screen relationship. However, because both were under WWE contracts at the time, the company stepped in—and things quickly went downhill.
“They got involved and because they have to have creative control of everything, unfortunately we can’t just do something on the side if everyone knows us as Corey and Carmella,” Van Dale explained.
Instead of a full reality series, the couple ended up filming a short YouTube project called Corey and Carmella, which Van Dale described as frustratingly inauthentic.
“They were just trying so hard to force these storylines,” she said. “It was more so following what they wanted us to do, and it was just so not us. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t who we are.”
One scene in particular left Van Dale mortified—and highlighted just how far removed the production was from reality.
“They had us move everything out of the house to make it look like we just moved in,” she recalled. “My brother-in-law had to carry a box of our stuff… and all of these sex toys, quote unquote, fell, and then there happened to be a cheese grater in the box with the sex toys. I’m like, ‘This is so embarrassing and so stupid.’”
Van Dale laughed off the moment but pointed to it as the perfect example of how the project missed the mark. “Do you think we’d really have a cheese grater in the box with our sex toys?” she joked.
Despite the failed first attempt, Van Dale said she would still love to pursue a reality series in the future—especially now that she’s no longer under contract with WWE.
“I would love the opportunity to show who we are now,” she said, hinting at the possibility of a more genuine take on their lives, free of scripted gimmicks and forced comedy.
Leah Van Dale is currently focused on motherhood and personal ventures, while Corey Graves remains a key figure on WWE commentary, working both NXT and Monday Night Raw.
You can listen to her full interview on Page Six Radio below.
