As WWE star AJ Lee prepares to compete at her first WrestleMania in over a decade, she’s revealing how she’s managed to keep the things that matter most close to the chest — and why she’s opening up now.
“Something I’ve tried to be purposeful about is sharing what I’m comfortable with and sharing what I think can help people,” Lee, 39, exclusively shared with NewsPlop, explaining that outside the ring she has wrestled with how much — or how little – to share on social media, including her marriage to current WWE world heavyweight champion CM Punk.
“I don’t really take pictures of my house,” she added. “I didn’t talk about my relationship for like a decade. I don’t think I even posted my husband on Instagram. I’m pretty private about the stuff that I think is just mine.”
Lee continued, “But when I feel like there’s stuff either I’ve gone through or learned from and I can share that with people and make them feel less alone, then I’m so happy to be an open book. I think that’s why I have this relationship with my fans that feels so tight and everlasting. They’re so good to me because we’ve been vulnerable with each other in that way.”
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Lee and Punk, 47, got married in 2014, less than a year before Lee initially left WWE. Her departure came on the heels of Punk’s exit from the company, though he returned in 2023.
While Lee said she was “always against doing storylines together,” she decided to let down her guard when it came to sharing the screen with her husband last year after her WWE return. She formed a mixed tag team with Punk to battle another real-life married couple, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, at WrestlePalooza.
“I was very, very, very private with him. But I just felt like, ‘OK, I think we’re 12 years in. Let’s acknowledge we’re married,’” Lee joked.
The couple now finds themselves navigating a brand new era of their lives, both personally and professionally.
“It’s interesting because we weren’t married the last time,” Lee said of the pair’s previous tenure in the company. “It’s just bizarre. I was wrestling for maybe a year during the marriage. So this is the first time on the road as a married couple. It is so nice to be able to bring home with you. It’s all very calm. I can always find him at catering or see him in the halls. That’s very, very comforting to me.”
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She continued, “A wonderful thing is to be able to admire your spouse. I get to admire how well he’s doing and how respected he is and how much fun he’s having. That’s a blast.”
Punk will defend his world heavyweight championship against Roman Reigns on Night 2 of WrestleMania 42 on Sunday, April 19.
Lee, meanwhile defends her women’s intercontinental title against Lynch on Night 1 on Saturday, April 18.
Both nights of WrestleMania 42, from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, are available to stream live at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.