Leah Van Dale: Speaking Her Truth

Summary

Barely Famous Podcast: Leah Van Dale - Speaking Her Truth

Hosted by Kail Lowry on PodcastOne
Release Date: March 7, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this candid episode of Barely Famous, host Kayla sits down with Leah Van Dale, formerly known as Carmella in the WWE. Leah opens up about her 12-year journey in professional wrestling, the unexpected end of her WWE career, her experiences with motherhood, and the challenges she faced during this transition.

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2. Career in WWE

Leah Van Dale recounts her early days as a cheerleader and dancer for the NFL and NBA before making the leap to WWE—a decision influenced by her father's wrestling background.

• Leah: "I never in my life imagined I would end up in WWE as a dancer. My whole life, I cheered in the NFL and then the NBA, and then this opportunity just kind of snowballed."
  (03:12)

She expresses pride in her accomplishments, including winning titles and being part of WWE's women's evolution.

• Leah: "I made it to the top. I became champion. I made history and got to be a part of this huge women's evolution."
  (03:44)

---

3. Pregnancy and Injury

About ten years into her WWE contract, Leah decided to pursue motherhood. Her pregnancy journey was complicated by severe nerve damage resulting from a prolonged labor and the use of an epidural.

• Leah: "I got pregnant and then I had my son, and during childbirth, I sustained deep fibular nerve damage. I couldn't really walk for weeks after."
  (05:30)

Despite her injury, WWE was initially supportive, freezing her contract and providing paid leave.

• Leah: "They were really cool about it. They paid me, and they've paid every woman that's been pregnant before under contract."
  (05:37)

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4. Contract Termination

Leah was blindsided when WWE decided not to renew her contract shortly after her injury. The company reinstated her contract for a mere seven weeks postpartum, differing from the standard practice of extending contracts based on the injury duration.

• Leah: "They reinstated my contract for seven weeks postpartum without informing me that my contract expiring would mean termination."
  (09:43)

This abrupt termination left her feeling undervalued and questioning whether gender bias played a role.

• Leah: "I feel like it is because I had a baby, like point blank. We still have a long way to go with equality."
  (14:20)

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5. Impact on Personal Life

The end of her WWE career coincided with Leah's efforts to recover from her injury and embrace motherhood. Her husband remains employed with WWE, adding to the emotional strain of her situation.

• Leah: "It hurts because my husband still has a job and I don't. How is that fair?"
  (18:19)

Despite this, Leah remains supportive of her husband and the WWE community, emphasizing her gratitude for the 12 years she spent with the company.

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6. Creation of Snatch

Leah channels her experiences into creating Snatch Co., a platform designed to support women going through similar challenges, particularly those related to pregnancy and miscarriage.

• Leah: "Snatch is a platform where women can chat, ask questions, and find support. I wanted to let other women know they're not alone."
  (26:04)

She shares how Snatch has already made a meaningful impact, helping women navigate difficult times.

• Leah: "Yesterday, someone reached out thinking she's having an ectopic pregnancy. I'm grateful I created this because she knows to ask questions and seek help."
  (28:25)

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7. Reflections on Gender Inequality

Leah reflects on the broader issues of gender inequality within WWE and the entertainment industry. She highlights the lack of support systems for mothers and the undervaluing of women's contributions.

• Leah: "Women in WWE are extremely underpaid compared to men. It's important to speak up and advocate for equality."
  (20:15)

She calls for improved communication and support for female athletes who wish to balance career and motherhood.

• Leah: "There needs to be more communication and support for moms in this workspace. Athletes should be able to have children and still have a career."
  (37:32)

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8. Future Plans

Embracing a new chapter, Leah discusses her aspirations beyond WWE. She expresses interest in hosting, potentially on Broadway, and continues to prioritize her role as a mother.

• Leah: "I would love to get into hosting or maybe even Roxie Hart on Broadway. That's my dream job."
  (63:17)

Leah remains optimistic, believing that her journey will lead to new and fulfilling opportunities.

• Leah: "If this wasn't happening right now, it's going to lead me to a different path. I’m excited to see what's next for Leah."
  (24:58)

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Notable Quotes

• Leah Van Dale: "I've been honest about this entire process, and I want to be open and honest for other women in the future."
  (50:39)

• Leah Van Dale: "Something else is coming, and I feel like something good is gonna come from this."
  (24:58)

• Kayla: "It's insane when you think about it."
  (62:25)

• Leah Van Dale: "Women should be able to have children and still have a career."
  (37:32)

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Conclusion

Leah Van Dale's heartfelt narrative sheds light on the intersection of professional sports, motherhood, and gender inequality. Her transparency serves as a rallying cry for better support systems for women in demanding careers, and her initiative with Snatch Co. underscores her commitment to fostering community and resilience among women facing similar challenges.

For more insights and updates on Leah's journey, follow her on Instagram at @leahvandale and visit her website Snatch Co..

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Note: This summary intentionally excludes advertisements and non-content sections to focus solely on the meaningful dialogue between Kayla and Leah Van Dale.

Transcript

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[Kayla]

Welcome to the show. Things are going to get weird. It's your fave villain, Kayla, and you're.

[Leah Van Dale]

Listening to Barely Famous. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Barely Famous podcast. Today we have Leah Van Dale. She's formerly known as Carmela as part of the wwe. It all started when Leah was a dancer and cheerleader for the NFL and the NBA. And then she took the leap into the wwe, which is amazing. Leah's dad was a former pro wrestler who worked for the wwe and so it's not really a surprise that she made this leap. I absolutely loved her character, Carmela, and she was with the WWE for 12 years. And we've been seeing all of your questions, all of your comments, and today we're going to get some insight from Leah herself about why her contract ended so abrupt. At some point, she decided she wanted to enter motherhood. Unfortunately, that meant lots of changes in other aspects of her life and deciding whether she was going to continue to be a WWE wrestler or not. Or maybe it wasn't even her decision. So let's get into it with Leah Van Dale.

[Kayla]

Welcome back to another episode of Barely Famous Podcast. Today we have Leah Van Dale, formerly known as Carmela or Mela. Welcome to Barely Famous. Hello.

[Leah Van Dale]

Thank you for having me.

[Kayla]

I am a little bit nervous about this because this is the first time you're ever doing something like this.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yes, it is.

[Kayla]

And people who are familiar with wwe. No. You as Carmela. So you have been out of WWE for almost two years.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yes.

[Kayla]

But not by choice.

[Leah Van Dale]

No.

[Kayla]

So let's talk about it.

[Leah Van Dale]

Sure.

[Kayla]

And it started with you. First of all, let me backtrack. You were in the WWE for 12 years.

[Leah Van Dale]

Twelve years, yes. And a part in 2013, which is wild.

[Kayla]

And we're in 2012. That's 12 years is a long time. Yes.

[Leah Van Dale]

I was a baby. I just was 25, I think, when I first signed. It's so crazy how first you were.

[Kayla]

A cheerleader And a dancer.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yes.

[Kayla]

But how do you make the leap from cheering and dancing to wwe?

[Leah Van Dale]

Such a great question. Because I don't know. I never in my life imagined I would end up in WWE as a dancer. My whole life. I cheered in the NFL and then the NBA, and then it just kind of snowballed. My dad was a wrestler in the early 90s, so I was around it. I grew up watching it, but I never thought I would do it. And then this opportunity came. I had an agent for dance, and this opportunity came, like, to have a tryout with wwe, and I was like, whatever, let's give it a shot.

[Kayla]

Yeah.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. And I tried out and I made it. And then the rest is just kind of history.

[Kayla]

And you've won so many titles over the years and become a fan favorite.

[Leah Van Dale]

Truly, I mean, it's crazy. I never. I thought, like. I mean, I never had any experience. I didn't wrestle before I got to wwe. And I feel, like, so blessed that in just a short period of time, I made it to the top. I became champion. I made history and got to be a part of this huge women's evolution.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

It was such a pivotal time for women in wwe, and I'm so grateful that I got to be a part of that.

[Kayla]

No, truly. Because I think women really changed the dynamic and the entire WWE industry, and I think that's really cool that you got to be a part of that.

[Leah Van Dale]

It's really cool. It got to the point where it was, like, no longer a big deal that the women were doing all of these things. It was just, like, the norm, and that's what we wanted. And it's just such an awesome, awesome feeling.

[Kayla]

Things start to take a turn about 10 years into the contract or 10 years into the franchise.

[Leah Van Dale]

Sure. Well, not necessarily a turn. I just got pregnant.

Okay.

And not like a turn. It was, like, a great experience. I mean, I was so excited to. I always wanted to be a mom. And I got pregnant, and, yeah, I was just so excited, and everything was going according to plan. And then I had my baby. And I mean, literally the best thing that ever happened to me in my entire life. I'm so in love with this little boy. And unfortunately, when I had my son, I got an injury. When I was giving birth, I was in labor for, like, what felt like a year. I went into the hospital on a Monday night, and I didn't have him till Wednesday afternoon. And I was pushing for, like, three hours and having my legs up and my leg, a nerve behind my knee was Compressed for so long that I got what's called deep fibular nerve damage. So I couldn't really walk. The muscles that control the top of my foot were so damaged, I couldn't walk for, like, weeks after I had my son. So it was scary.

[Kayla]

No, that's terrifying. So, but how. How did the WWE react to you getting pregnant in the first place? They were fine. Supportive the whole night.

[Leah Van Dale]

Supportive. I mean, so many women. I mean, not so many women, but a handful of women have gotten pregnant while under contract, and basically, they freeze your contract while you're pregnant. They pay you, which is so incredible. Like, they don't have to pay you when you're pregnant. And they paid me, and they've paid every woman that's been pregnant before under contract. And I'm so grateful for that. I will say I did offer to work when I was pregnant. I was like, please. Like, I know I can't wrestle, but let me. Let me go on the road. I'll do backstage interviews. I'll do kickoff shows. I'll do panels. Let me contribute. Because I didn't want them to think, like, I'm just cool with sitting at home and getting paid and not working right. But they were like, no, to stay at home. It's fine. So I was like, fine. Okay. So I did. I stayed at home. And, yeah, they were really cool about it. And then usually, what's happened in the past with women who've been pregnant under contract, they have their baby, they recover. I mean, every. As you know, every post postpartum journey is so different. And I don't want to speak on anyone else's recovery. Mine was obviously a lot more difficult because of the nerve damage with my foot, but I was like, I let them know as soon as. Like, I think the day that I had my son, I told the head of medical, by the way, I just want to let you know, this is what happened. This is what's going on. And I think for women, like, women's health in general is just so under. I don't know the word. Like, overlooked. Like, people don't talk about these things. And so when I had the nerve damage, they were just like, it'll just resolve in, like, four to six weeks. It'll be fine. So then it's like, your doctor said that, yes, yes, okay, it'll be fine. It'll just take a little bit of time. Like, okay, now, like, months and months are going by, and it's not getting better. And so then I'm going for all these tests. Seeing these specialists, and I've been in touch with WWE the entire way, like, telling them what was going on and everything like that. And then, I mean, I guess fast forward until a few weeks ago, and then I got a call saying that my contract was up in 10 days. And basically what happened was usually when you're injured, your contract is like on a pause, okay? So they take however long that the contract is paused, whether it's during pregnancy, postpartum, or just a regular old injury that you get in the ring, your contract is paused for a certain amount of time. And then when you go back to work, however long it was paused for, they just kind of tack on to the end of your contract.

[Kayla]

Okay, fair enough.

[Leah Van Dale]

Right. And that's just kind of the impression that I was under. And then come to find out the way it worked out was my contract was paused for seven weeks after I had my son and then reinstated. So basically, seven weeks postpartum, my contract's reinstated. And I didn't know, like, nobody told me that I only had seven weeks off after my son and that they were going to reinstate it. And then, yeah, I guess fast forward to it, because I basically had a year left on my contract when I got pregnant. So then when it was reinstated, January 1, 2024, is when they decided, for whatever reason, they just, like, picked that date, and that's the date that it got reinstated. So then January to the following February, which is where we're at now. It's expired, and that was that.

[Kayla]

So you let the WWE know that you were pregnant and they were fine. They were supportive. You go to have your son and you got seven weeks off.

[Leah Van Dale]

But I didn't know that at the time.

[Kayla]

Nobody said anything.

[Leah Van Dale]

Nobody said that. So basically, when I got pregnant, they sent me a letter and they said, like, they gave me an X amount of days off on my contract for being pregnant, and then seven weeks postpartum. So basically, they anticipated how long it would take me to recover postpartum. And I'm assuming they give this number to all the women who get pregnant.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

But they said in this letter, like, no matter what, when you return to wrestling, these dates will all change. So basically it's just kind of like a placeholder date and number and period of time that you have off. But when you return to wrestle, that's the date that we're actually going to take. And that contract would be frozen for that amount of time that you were out. Okay, so like, say I was out for 300 days and they're like, okay, we're gonna freeze your contract for 300 days or we're gonna freeze your contract for whatever amount of time. But I was out for 300 days. They would. Once I came back, they would add that 300 days back onto my contract. If that makes sense. Yes.

[Kayla]

No, that makes perfect sense.

[Leah Van Dale]

And so that was just the impression I was under because that's how it's worked for other women in the past. And that's how it's worked if you're injured or anything. And again, every woman is so different. Like, some girls have been out for six months postpartum, some girls have been out for 14 months postpartum, five months, eight months. It's just, of course, everyone's recovery is different. Sure. So it's like they can put an exact timeline on when you're going to return. But I just was, like, completely shocked that they had only given me seven weeks and then reinstated my contract.

[Kayla]

But didn't tell you when they reinstated.

[Leah Van Dale]

Tell me. Yeah.

[Kayla]

So at the point that you hit the seven week mark postpartum, no one.

[Leah Van Dale]

Said, hey, we're going to reinstate your contract.

[Kayla]

So you didn't go back to work?

[Leah Van Dale]

I didn't go back to work. I also was completely. I mean, you can barely ride a bike seven weeks postpartum. You know what I mean? Never mind. Like, even if I was completely healthy and didn't have the nerve damage in my foot, there's no way I was returning seven weeks postpartum.

[Kayla]

Well, I mean, you get cleared to work out and do regular things at six weeks if you're lucky. If you're lucky.

[Leah Van Dale]

And that's like, light working out.

[Kayla]

So at the point that they reinstated your contract, did you. Did they know that you had the diagnosis that you had with the nerve damage? Okay. So they still brought you. They reinstated it knowing that you had nerve damage. Okay.

[Leah Van Dale]

And that's why I was also confused because in the letter I was sent, it said, like, these dates and everything will change based off of your, like, medical condition. So, like, I have a medical condition, and, like, I'm assuming they put that in there for any pregnant woman because you just don't know what will happen. Right. So I just was. I was completely shocked. Like, I had no idea. And then I got a phone call a few weeks ago just saying, like, hey, we just want to let you know your contract's up in 12 days and we're not renewing it. And I was like, first of all, my husband and I were walking into a Nikki Glazier comedy show. Like. Like, we're in line to get a beer, and we're, like, so excited to go watch the stand up. Like, the last thing on my mind is thinking about getting a call about my job. And I just was. I was completely blindsided. And I was just like, wait a minute. What? Like, I thought my contract was frozen because I'm injured. I had no idea, because usually when you're injured, your contract's frozen.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

And it just. It was. It hurt. Like, it really hurt. I was really upset and disappointed because I just felt like they knew about my injury. And I also was doing everything in my power to heal and get better. That same day that I got a phone call, I was at my spine specialist and my neurologist getting different tests and results and chatting about options and doing everything I can to. I mean, my foot is getting better. It's just not 100% yet. So I just was like, why am I going through all of this trouble to try to get better and try to get back to the ring if that wasn't the ultimate goal at the end? And the kicker is I actually offered to go back to work last summer.

[Kayla]

Well, you tried to work while you were pregnant.

[Leah Van Dale]

Exactly.

[Kayla]

I just feel like it would be so much of a different story right now if they valued how hard you were willing to work and what you were willing to do for the company.

[Leah Van Dale]

Exactly. I called them. I was maybe seven or eight months postpartum, and I reached out to the head of. The head of everything, and I was like, hey, I don't know. I wasn't even sure if he was aware that I had nerve damage, but I kind of laid everything out for him. And I was like, I can't wrestle, but I'd love to contribute anyway I can. Here's my pitch. I had an idea of working with this tag team and being a manager. Carmela is like, a huge personality, and I love talking on the microphone. So let me help another team out in the meantime, even though I can't wrestle, but let me just contribute. And he loved the idea. He put me in touch with the head of creative and let's get it going. And I can't wait to see you as the what? He told me literally point blank, and I was like, okay, cool. And then I was in touch with creative. They got medical clearance from my doctor. Like, my personal doctor saying, yes, she can travel. She just can't wrestle. Cool. And then, like, radio silence. I haven't heard from anyone. That was, like, the end of July. I Was in the middle of collaborating with them on this and then I haven't heard anything from anyone.

[Kayla]

So everyone just ghosted, ghosted, ghost.

[Leah Van Dale]

Completely ghosted. And it just hurts because I feel like I have always been a company girl. I've always like, done whatever it is they wanted me to do. I feel like I always represent the company in a professional way and do what's asked of me. I never like gone off script or done anything where I was like, oh, shoot, maybe I shouldn't have done that. I always do everything that's asked of me. And it just feels like a shitty way to end a 12 year career with the company. This is how it ended.

[Kayla]

That's a long time. There are people who don't stay with companies for 12 years, especially in the entertainment industry, because I feel like they're the turnover and you want the next best thing, but you've been the next best thing for the all 12 years. Do you know what I mean?

[Leah Van Dale]

It just, it sucks. I feel like, is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I had a baby? And. Well, it is because I had a baby, like point blank. I. When I even spoke with like, they wouldn't give me any answers on the phone either. I was like, well, why? Like what, what's happening? They're like, this is just what we're going with right now. I'm like, they don't even think they said that. He was just like, I'll put you in touch with legal. And I'm like, legal. Like, I don't. I just want to know, like, why this is happening. Like, this doesn't feel right.

[Kayla]

Like you're a human being. You want real answers from a real person, not this robotic legal. And I get it, it's all, everything is a liability, but also to be treated like a human being and a woman and someone who's dedicated 12 years of your life to this, to this company. All right.

[Leah Van Dale]

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[Kayla]

So when you're walking into the comedy show and you look at your husband and you are telling him about the call or you have it on speakerphone, what. How does he react? Because he's still with the WWE company.

[Leah Van Dale]

And that's also, like, what bothers. Doesn't bother me to sue the company. Like, I'm so glad he has a job. I'm so glad he's still there. Right? But he still has a job. We had a kid and he has a job. But I don't. Like, how is that fair? You know what I mean? It's wild.

[Kayla]

I'm thinking of, you know, being a business owner myself, if one of my girls got pregnant and had an injury, right. Related to the pregnancy or not sure. If they can't do the role that they were in before they got the injury, I'm going to find a place for them within the company that they can do.

[Leah Van Dale]

Right.

[Kayla]

Because I'm a girls girl and I recognize that at the end of the day, like, you're not just a number. You're not replaceable. You know what I'm saying? Like, of course I can have someone else fill the role, but it's not the same.

[Leah Van Dale]

Right.

[Kayla]

And I just feel like with your fan base and everything that you've brought. Of course. That's so hurtful. Hurtful.

[Leah Van Dale]

It's so hurtful. And the fact that I went above and beyond and tried to go back, it's not like I was like, oh, I'm fine with, let me just sit at home and collect my paycheck and screw you guys. Like, I tried to go back. And for example, my husband, when years ago he had gotten several concussions, he had to retire. They let him figure out another path. They let him try commentary, and he completely excelled at that. He's incredible. He's like one of, if not the best commentator WWE has. He's incredible. There's another guy a couple years ago, Big E. He's a friend of mine. He broke his neck, unfortunately, in the ring, but he was given the opportunity to have another. Another avenue to succeed.

[Kayla]

Yeah.

[Leah Van Dale]

Why? Why wasn't I afforded that same opportunity is like. That's what I keep asking myself. Because I feel like I have a lot to offer. I have a fan base. I represent the company well. Why wasn't I given an opportunity somewhere else when I've showed interest and shown that I wanted to contribute in any way that I could and they didn't give me that opportunity? And I just. Is it because I'm a woman and I don't want to keep saying these things, but I just feel like it is 20, 25, but we still have a long way to go with equality, I think. I mean, the women there are extremely underpaid compared to the men, and that's just a fact. Everyone there knows it. The women working there know it, and they maybe can't say it because they're working. So let me say it. I'm going to say it and speak up for them because it's important and there's just. There's some work to do.

[Kayla]

I feel like for your. For those listening who are not familiar with wwe, there is a. You have. You have to be able to act right. Like there's storylines and there's all kinds of things like that. When you. I don't want to say left because you didn't leave. When your contract was frozen and you had your son, what was the storyline that you had just, like, ended on?

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah, I was in. So basically it was right around the same time two years ago. It was elimination chamber. And I. I mean, I killed it in that match. I was like, super annoying. Like, Carmella is so annoying. And I was just like, in that match, like, playing games with everyone and just being annoying and obnoxious and actually, I was supposed. I was factored into WrestleMania that year. I was supposed to be in a tag team with Chelsea Green. We were going in to. It was like, I think like a four way. And she was supposed to be my tag team partner or I was supposed to be her tag team partner. And then unfortunately, or not unfortunately, circumstances changed and I got pregnant and I wasn't able to participate. But I was supposed to be in WrestleMania that year. So I was in all the programs and I felt bad. The girl that replaced me, it was like my picture and all the programs.

[Kayla]

I mean, it happened, though. And you have to. As a company, WWE needed to be able to pivot when they needed to start.

[Leah Van Dale]

Exactly.

[Kayla]

And so that. That part is what it is. So was any of your storyline. I can't remember because I do watch it with my kids sometimes.

[Leah Van Dale]

But was.

[Kayla]

Is your husband. Your husband in wwe?

[Leah Van Dale]

Sometimes, yeah. I mean, like, they acknowledge it for sure. And leading up to our wedding, we had like a big storyline where it was like I was in a tag team. I was actually tag team champion with Zelina Vega. And like, our entire storyline was like, me just worrying so much about our wedding and not worrying about WrestleMania. And, like, my husband and I were like, making out on tv and, like, it was just so over the top and ridiculous. But it was fun.

[Kayla]

But so I say all that to say that you could have done something with your husband while you couldn't be in the wrestling ring. There are definitely so many ideas that you could have done, especially with both of you guys being such a big name. And he was doing commentary for. He's doing it for NXT now, right?

[Leah Van Dale]

Yes.

[Kayla]

Okay. So originally doing it for wwe, and then. I mean, even.

[Leah Van Dale]

And then even now, like, I could have done backstage interview. Like, me, let me just contribute. Because, like, you're saying when you're paying somebody and they're not able to do their job, like, okay, let's find something else. And it just would have been like, if there was some communication, like, hey, we know you're injured. You can't wrestle right now. Like, why don't you come back in a few months? Or, like, when you feel better, like, let's reopen or revisit the conversation. But, like, I wasn't even given a conversation. It was just like, boom, we're not renewing your contract. And, like, you have 10 days or 12 days to, like, figure out how to make money and, like, support my family. I was just like, I was so shocked that I didn't even really know what was happening. And again, we're at this comedy show, we're, like, in the concessions, and I'm, like, on the side just trying to, like, what is happening? What? Like, my con. You're not. I was so confused by all of it. I just was. It was the last thing on my mind that something like that would happen. And I was just like, how is this happening? Like, I thought my contract was frozen because I can't wrestle. Like, I'm not able to wrestle. And basically what came back to with legal was, like, at any point, WWE can change their mind, so they can decide to extend your contract based off of when you're injured, or they can not extend it, and they, in my case, for whatever reason, decided not to extend it. I don't know why. There's no rhyme or reason, and it just is what it is.

[Kayla]

How does that change the dynamic between you and your husband now? Because he is still part of WWE nxt.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah, I mean, it doesn't change it at all. Like, I. And listen, I'm not sitting here. I don't want to, like, be speaking poorly about W. Like, I had such a great experience there. I loved working. There was 12 years of my life. I met my best friends. I met my husband. There Like, I traveled the world and created the best fan base. And the crew, everyone, like, everyone topped the bottom. I just loved working there. And that doesn't change. Like, my husband loves this business. He loves wrestling. Like, this is what he always wanted to do, and he's living his dream, and I fully support that. And it doesn't change it at all. Like, we still talk about it. We still talk about storylines or whatever's happening on tv. And my girlfriend's like, Natty and Bailey, they're like my two best friends. I talk to them every day, and I'm not gonna, like, not support them or you know what I mean? I feel like, you know, I just. That was my life for so long, and now it's not. But it doesn't change anything.

[Kayla]

Does it feel bittersweet, though, that all of your people are still there?

[Leah Van Dale]

It does, but I also feel like this is the path that I'm meant to be on right now. I feel like I'm a huge believer in, like, everything happening for a reason.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

So if this wasn't happening right now, it's going to lead me to a different path. And as much as I wanted to prove not only to myself, to my son, to my co workers, to my female fan base, you can have a baby and still kick ass and still go back to work, that's what I really wanted to do. And unfortunately, I'm not able to do that anymore. But I'm gonna pivot, and this is the next chapter of my life. And whatever's meant to happen will happen. And I feel like something amazing is gonna come from this. I don't know what it is right now. It's all still so fresh.

[Kayla]

Yeah.

[Leah Van Dale]

But I'm excited. I'm excited to see what's next for Leah. Like, for so long, it's like, oh, Carmela and car. It's like, no, I can now fully be Leah and, like, do what I want to do. And I don't know what that is. It's like, what do I like to do? I don't know. Like, this is all I did for so long, but I think it's time. It's, like, time to figure out what's next.

[Kayla]

Well, you could definitely write a book.

[Leah Van Dale]

I could write a book.

[Kayla]

You also have Snatch.

[Leah Van Dale]

Snatch.

[Kayla]

Let's talk about it. So I did get some information on it. I pulled up the website. We're going to link it in the description what inspired Snatch and what is Snatch?

[Leah Van Dale]

So Snatch is a platform that I created for women. I had a miscarriage Two miscarriages, actually, before I got pregnant with my son. And I didn't know anyone that had a miscarriage. And I was like, what is happening? Like, why is this happening to me? I had an ectopic pregnancy, which is so dangerous for those who don't know. It's like when the baby's, like, growing in your fallopian tube and it can, like, burst. A lot of women bleed to death and die, like, when this happens. So I decided to talk about it because I felt like if it was happening to me, there was, like, such. I felt such shame. And I was alone during this time, and I was like, I'm just gonna share this and let other women know, like, hey, if this is happening to you, you're not alone. You didn't do anything wrong. And so when I did that, I just felt like it opened the floodgates for this conversation. So, like, my girlfriends who had had miscarriages had never even told anyone. They're like, oh, my God, you're making me feel better about the one I had. And I'm like, oh, my God. Like, why wouldn't you talk about this? You know? Like, you shouldn't feel, like, ashamed, right? So then when I got pregnant with my son, I was like, okay, there's something here. Like, we need to, like, get these conversations going. And that's why I created Snatch, which is, like, the most ridiculous name. And people are like, do you know what that means? I'm like, obviously, I know what Snatch means. Right? But, like, that's the whole point, to get people talking and to be, like, bold in your face. Like, let's talk about it. Let's have the conversations that women aren't having. I'm gonna try to facilitate that. And so it's basically like a private forum where women can go and chat with each other and ask questions. I have a lot of guest speakers and experts on different topics, whether it's, like, fertility and IVF or postpartum depression or just, like, topics that you don't. I feel like women are so uninformed on. Until you become a mom, as I'm sure you know, it's like, you don't know what you don't know. And then when it's happening, you're like, oh, my God, how come nobody told me about this? Or, why didn't I know about?

[Kayla]

Yeah.

[Leah Van Dale]

And so that's what Snatch is all about.

[Kayla]

Well, I'm glad that you did that, because I've had four losses.

[Leah Van Dale]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kayla]

And I. When I opened the website. And I saw it, it was like, wow, this is amazing. And I think that more people should know about it. And to your point, I mean, I didn't really talk about my miscarriages or, you know, anything like that, because what do you. If someone else hasn't related, how can they comfort you? When you're talking to other women who've experienced the same thing, you feel a different sort of. Of connection and comfort. And so I think that's really great. Were the women in WWE supportive?

[Leah Van Dale]

Yes, very, very supportive. And, like, it's crazy that the community it's created. And that's just more than anything, what I wanted to do is create a community. And, like, to this. Yesterday, one of this girl that I. From where I grew up messaged me because she thinks she's having an ectopic pregnancy. And she's like, tell me about this or how did it. And I'm like, oh, my God. Like, thank God you're at least, like, reaching out to me, because what if I never created this? What if you didn't know about this? Like, how would you even know to ask questions or go to your doctor and find out what's going on? So I just think it's so important to have these conversations as women.

[Kayla]

No, it's. It totally is. And I'm sure Corey is support. That's not his real name. Matt. Can I say his?

[Leah Van Dale]

You can say Matt.

[Kayla]

Okay. I don't know what's a. I know.

[Leah Van Dale]

It's so confusing.

[Kayla]

I think I. Who told me there's, like, a name for, like, having to stay in character.

[Leah Van Dale]

Hey, fabe.

[Kayla]

What is it called?

[Leah Van Dale]

Kayfabe.

[Kayla]

Kayfabe. I want to make sure I don't break anyone's characters.

[Leah Van Dale]

Sure. No, and you're not.

Okay.

This is, like. This is real life.

[Kayla]

Okay, so. And what was Matt's reaction to you starting Snatch?

[Leah Van Dale]

He's so supportive of it. I mean, he is. I'm gonna go off about him, but he's just incredible. Like, even when all of this stuff went down a couple weeks ago, he was sitting. Because I was sitting there, like, doubting myself, like, what. What if this is the end of my career? Like, what am I doing with my life? What do I have to offer? And he was like, like, like shaking. He's like, babe, what do you mean? Like, this is not the end all. Be all. Like, you have so much to offer. And, like, it just. I'm so grateful for him to. In times like that, just to. He's so supportive and he's so supportive with Snatch and he, he's just, he's the best. I want to cry so, so much. I'm so grateful for him.

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[Kayla]

I did not realize this happened a couple weeks ago.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kayla]

I thought this was, like, last year, and you've been like, keep it. So this is fresh.

[Leah Van Dale]

Fresh. This is so fresh. Yeah. I haven't even been out of my contract for. It's been a week now, so it's. It's all very fresh. It's crazy.

[Kayla]

And do you think they. They could change their mind? Right?

[Leah Van Dale]

But I. Why would you want to be somewhere that doesn't want you? So when you're in a relationship and someone's trying to break up with you and you're like, no, don't leave me. Like, I promise, like, it's like, no. Like, you're not wanted in that relationship anymore. See you later. Like, that's not for me. And I truly feel like that door is closed. I'm not saying forever. It's not like Carmelo may never make another appearance. Like, I think that would be great to eventually put my Jordans back on and moonwalk back out there and be in front of the fans. Like, I think someday it will, but right now, it's just not for me. Right now, it's like, Universe's way of telling me there's something else for you, and I'm excited for that.

[Kayla]

Maybe it's with Snatch. Maybe you're gonna turn that into just, like, a worldwide making, you know, making people aware of it.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah, right. And that's kind of why I wanted to have this conversation today. I feel like I've been so transparent about my journey with my miscarriages and my pregnancy and my postpartum journey. It's like, I want to be open and honest about this. And again, I'm not sitting here trying to disparage wwe, but I want to be real and honest because it's 2025, and we still have a long Way to go for women and moms and pregnancy and health and all of it. I feel like this conversation needs to be had, because, I mean, shit, I had a baby, and now I'm not working anymore.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

And that sucks. That's just the reality of the situation. Yeah. I feel like I'm being punished because I had a baby, and I wouldn't change a damn thing. I'm obsessed with my son. Like, this is my life. And so I would do it a million times over again, but it's just the reality of the situation.

[Kayla]

If you could suggest improvements, where do you think they would be specifically for, you know, the WWE and what happened to you through this throughout this whole process? The lack of communication, feeling like this is an attack on your womanhood, your motherhood, you know, and what you. What value you bring. So where. Where would you suggest the improvements? Like, where do we start with change?

[Leah Van Dale]

I think communication, for sure. There needs to be more communication, and there needs to be something that's put in place for moms in this workspace. And what that looks like, I don't know. But I feel like, as an athlete, we should be able to have children and still have a career. Like, yeah, it should be possible. And, like, there are other women who have done it in wwe. There's been a few, not a lot. But I think me sharing this, hopefully for any other woman who's in that locker room right now contemplating having a baby but still wants their career, just got to be careful because you just don't know.

[Kayla]

What do you say to the women who are thinking about it? Because at this point, I would look at this. If I was in the wwe, if I was in. In the company and I. And I saw this happen to you, I would have to think twice about whether or not I could start my motherhood journey.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. And I would agree. And that's too bad. And again, there are other women who have had babies and gone back, but they also didn't get injured. And I did get injured during childbirth. And that is unfortunate, but it is the reality, and it happens. And I just feel like people don't talk about. Again, they don't talk about these things. Like, we don't realize you can get hurt giving birth. And while, knock on wood, it's, I'm gonna be okay, and I'm recovering, it's still very real, and it's what happened. And that's, again, why I feel, like, hurt that there's no other avenue for me or no other path. Like, no, we only want you As a wrestler. And you can't be as a wrestler, so you're no good to us, you know? Yeah.

[Kayla]

Which feels really unfair.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. And it does.

[Kayla]

Just as a human being, it's like you feel helpless.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

When you realize that something was very wrong. Can you walk us through the journey of realizing that something was wrong with the nerves and. And after birth?

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. So I had. I got an epidural. I was in labor for so long, I was like, give me this damn epidural. And after I had my son, it was like this weird, like, tingling, numbing feeling in my right leg and foot. And they're like, oh, it's probably just from the epidural. It's gonna wear off. And then I got up because you have to go to the bathroom after you have your. And I'm like, couldn't. I fell over. I couldn't. And I was like, oh, my God, this is not okay. And then a few days go by, and then I'm getting discharged from the hospital and they said, okay, just send. Said, hey, listen, my leg doesn't feel normal. I can barely walk to the bathroom. And they're like, just give it, like I said, a few weeks. And then weeks went by. Nothing. And it got to the point where I was at my six week checkup and it still wasn't better. They're like, okay, we'll give it eight to 10 weeks. And I'm just like, this feels weird. It just felt off, like, this isn't right. And now I'm at like, almost three months and I'm going to see the chiropractor, my acupuncturist. I'm like, trying to do whatever I can in the meantime. And finally I had to go to my primary care and not my ob. I was like, I don't know what's going on? So she sent me to get an mri. And then basically because of years of wrestling, I have, like, crazy, like, slipped discs and things in my back. So they just attributed that to my foot. So then they were treating my foot as though it was coming from my back.

[Kayla]

But that would also be where the epidural goes, right?

[Leah Van Dale]

It wasn't. It was like the L4, L5. And I don't even know where the epidural. And then, of course, anesthesiologist, they were. They were like, not taking my, like, no, no, no, it was not us. And I was like, okay. It was just like I kept getting the runaround from everyone and like, the way they were treating my nerve damage in My leg was as if it was coming from my back. So then we're going through. I was going through physical therapy for, like, months, and it wasn't getting better. And then finally they sent me to a spine specialist, and the spine specialist was like, no, that's not coming from your back. That's coming from your leg. So it was just like this huge runaround, or I just feel like everyone was giving me, like, pointing the finger at somebody else. And finally when I saw the spine specialist. And again, I didn't get to see her till September. I had my son in November. I didn't get to see her until the following September because of the run around. And then I wanted to see someone good. So then, of course, it takes, like, months to get in. And finally when she sent me for an MRI and realized, like, it's not from my back, it's coming, I had to get an emg, all this nerve testing, and come to find out it was from the back of my knee from push.

[Kayla]

So is that a lawsuit to the hospital then?

[Leah Van Dale]

No, it's just.

[Kayla]

You're better than me. Everybody. Everybody's getting sued if it was me. So you're better than me.

[Leah Van Dale]

I just feel like the end of the day, I just don't want to deal with all of the bullshit. I just want to get better.

[Kayla]

You're like, I want to go back to work and get better.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yes, that's it. I just wanted to get better and having a son and, like, I'm an athlete. Like, to not be able to, like, run and work out the way I want to and, like, jump. Like, I can get by everyday life, normal life, fine. It's not a big deal. I'm wearing boots with heels. It's okay. But, like, to get back into, like, full, like, what I've always done, it's. I can't right now, and that sucks. It's. It's unfortunate.

[Kayla]

So what do you tell your. You have a blended family with Matt. What do you tell the kids? Like, do you just say, can't. Can't run around with you guys today? Can't.

[Leah Van Dale]

I mean, my. Like I said, my everyday life is normal. It's just like, to get back into, like, that hue, like that hardcore, like, training regimen and, like, doing things the way I would like to do them. I just can't. But I can play with the kids and still dance and do stupid, silly tiktoks and things like that.

[Kayla]

Okay.

[Leah Van Dale]

But it's just, like, getting back into, like, that crazy training that I would love to be able to do. I just can't do that right now.

[Kayla]

And that is necessary for wwe. Wwe, what does that look like? What is like a regimen for someone.

[Leah Van Dale]

To get your cardio up? Like there's nothing that can prepare you for cardio in the wrestling ring. Like you can sprint, you can do like condition. Like nothing prepares you other than getting in that ring and like running the ropes and do like there's so many different conditioning drills that you would do. I'd have to be down there for at least like I say down there. We have a training facility in Orlando. So I would have to be there for like, like well over a month. Like really getting my like. And you can be aesthetically look great, but cardio wise you have to get it up.

[Kayla]

So it's more for like actually being able. Yeah. To be able to keep up. Not because they want you to look a certain way, but I'm sure they also want you to look a certain way.

[Leah Van Dale]

Sure. When you have to like well within, like, I mean Carmela, she was like a bad bitch. I have to like serve.

[Kayla]

Honey, Leah is a bad bitch too.

[Leah Van Dale]

Leah is too. So thank you.

[Kayla]

We actually saw, we went to dinner Disney in October. We saw Don't Catch Me Lying on His Name solo. Sikoa.

[Leah Van Dale]

Oh, yes. Yep.

[Kayla]

Freaking out. The kids were freaking out and I was like great. In Orlando though. No, he was really sweet. He was great. But so you can't do the hardcore endurance stuff. But so then how do you keep up with just regular keeping Leah? Well, on a day to day basis now.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. I feel like I try to do Pilates. That's kind of like my go to. It makes me feel good, it makes me feel strong. And I mean running after a 15 month old, that'll keep you in shape.

[Kayla]

I think. We have kids that are roughly the same age. My twins are 16 months.

[Leah Van Dale]

Okay.

So that.

[Kayla]

Right around the same time.

[Leah Van Dale]

Twins. Girl.

[Kayla]

Twins are. They're crazy.

[Leah Van Dale]

Although they're.

[Kayla]

My twins are not walking yet. So I mean one of them is sort of walking. So I'm not. But then I have. I had rio who was 11 months older. So they're like Irish triplets.

[Leah Van Dale]

Okay.

[Kayla]

So I keep up with him. I don't think that I could ever keep up with a WWE workout plan regimen, any of that. So kudos to you. So will you still go support any of the shows? Like while?

[Leah Van Dale]

I don't know. I mean, never say never. I feel like again I want to support my husband, support my friends, and again, never say Never.

[Kayla]

What would you say to any of your kids that wanted to join WWE or NXT or any of the.

[Leah Van Dale]

Oh, my goodness. I would say, make sure that you have thick skin if that's what you want to do, because it's. It's a lot, and you're gonna take a lot of crap. And being in the public eye, like, I know even sitting here right now, there's People are gonna have something to say about this, and I. I'm just speaking my truth, but there. People are gonna be having something to say, and that's just the nature of that business, entertainment in general.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

You're not gonna make everyone happy, and you got to make sure you really love it, because you're gonna get a lot of shit.

[Kayla]

Did people give you shit about getting pregnant while you're under contract?

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah, of course. Oh, look at her just sitting at home getting pregnant, like, staying pregnant and making money. And it's like, listen, I'm a woman. I want to have children, and I would like to also have a career, and I think that's fair. And I'm. I'm now 37. At the time, I was 35. Like, time wasn't on my side. I didn't want to wait until my contract was up again. I had trouble getting pregnant in the first place, so I didn't want to risk, like, not being able to have. Wait till my contract's up when I'm 37 and then try. Like, I just. I was scared. I wanted to make sure that I would be able to be a mom.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

And I think that's fair. I feel like you can be an athlete. You can still be a mom. You can. You can do it all. You don't have to fit into one box. And I just think, you know, people are gonna have something to say no matter what.

[Kayla]

No matter what.

[Leah Van Dale]

This is my life, and my son is very real. And it's like, that's what matters, you know?

[Kayla]

Absolutely. Oh, my gosh. And men don't have to think about giving up their career to become a parent the same way that women do.

[Leah Van Dale]

They don't.

[Kayla]

And. And that's just in and of itself, it's heartbreaking because, I mean, you think about. We were just talking internally about, you know, one of our girls, you know, wants to try to have a baby this year. And I said, great. And we're going to fill her role until she gets back, and if she chooses not to come back, that's her prerogative. But the fact that women have to think about whether or not they're going to be able to keep their career if they're in a place to, you know, decide do they stay at home or do they not? I mean, you wanted to have both.

[Leah Van Dale]

I did.

[Kayla]

And there's no reason why you can't. So I think it's really heartbreaking that they, you know, and. And I know this isn't to, you know, talk shit about the WWE or anything, but maybe, maybe this would help open their eyes to the situation. And you didn't have to choose between being a mom and whether you were injured or not. There was. There is a place for you.

[Leah Van Dale]

Right.

[Kayla]

So I just think that's, you know, heartbreaking.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah, it is. And that's what I was saying. Like, my husband, my. His job hasn't changed. He's going to work every week and he has five or four kids. I'm like, wait, how many does he have? They're getting out of control. I have three step kids and my son. So it's like to have four kids and he still has a job and he's working. And again, very grateful for that, of course, but it's just. Yeah, nothing about his life has changed and it's just the reality. That's the world we're in. And again, you think, like, we've come so far as a society, but it's 20, 25 and these things are still happening. And I just wish. I wish more for women in general and moms and especially athletes. I feel like it's. You shouldn't have to choose one. Like, why can't you have both?

[Kayla]

No, all things can be true. All of it, you know, And I don't know, I just feel like if I could write a letter to them.

[Leah Van Dale]

But again, you know what? And it's. It is what it is. This is the journey I'm on right now. And again, it's not talking shit on wwe. This is just what happened. And again, I want to be open and honest about it because I feel like it's my duty. I've been honest about this entire process, and I want to be open and honest for other women in the future. But this is the path I'm on, and it's not for me right now. Something else is coming, and it's like, I'm feeling it. It's coming my way. I'm putting it out there. Something good is coming my way. And. And again, I'm excited for it. Like, why would you want to be.

[Kayla]

Somewhere that doesn't want you and actually just listen to that? I'M listening to Mel Robbins book Let Them.

[Leah Van Dale]

Oh, yes.

[Kayla]

And so it's covering different aspects of the let them theory. And one of the pieces of that was like, you don't want to be somewhere that you're not wanted. So let them not invite you, let them not include you. Let them not re sign your contract in your case. And it doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt, but at the end of the day, I think that it's just like what you do with it, how you react to it. And I think, you know, you telling your story and you telling your truth, you're always gonna have your fan base, your die hards and your family, of course. So.

[Leah Van Dale]

And I'm so grateful for that.

[Kayla]

Absolutely. And I'm excited to see what you do with Snatch too, because I think that that was the first time I had heard of it was when I agreed to do this interview. And I was like, yeah, I would love this. I got on the website and I thought it was really cool. And I, you know, I actually just had an interview with a woman who. She had a stillborn, and so she's connected with a lot of women for miscarriage and still, you know, stillborns and things like that. And so just women who are going down that journey, this will be a really good place for them to sort of have a sense of community.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah, exactly.

[Kayla]

And I love that. So what was the deciding factor for you in wanting to speak up about this? Because I know that from what I know, I don't know, but from what I know, the WWE kind of has, like a tight leash on what things. What can be said, and, you know, how you use the name and things like that. So did you ever think, like, maybe I shouldn't talk about it at all?

[Leah Van Dale]

No, that was never an option for me because I feel like it's so important to speak up on this. As a mom, I have two stepdaughters, I have a platform where I have a lot of female followers and female fans from over the years. I need to speak up on this because if I don't, it's gonna happen again. Maybe not in wwe, but maybe somewhere else. And if this can help one company or one woman, like, fight for herself or her career, then I'm so proud of that. I think it's so important to speak openly like other women. We need to champion for each other and rally around each other. And I feel like if I didn't speak up, then I was getting so many questions like, why aren't you resigning? Why didn't you go back? You just want to be a mom. Like why? What? And first of all, there's nothing wrong with just being a mom, number one. And number two, that wasn't the truth. Like I felt like I needed to address this once and for all and to say, like it wasn't up to me, this isn't my choice. Like this is what they decided and it's the truth. And there's never any harm in speaking your truth.

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[Kayla]

And I hope that you don't get any backlash for that because that is the truth. I just, I hate that because I saw your story the other day. I think it was on your Instagram. Do you have Tick Tock?

[Leah Van Dale]

I don't really like post on the Tick Tock.

[Kayla]

Okay, so Instagram.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah. Okay.

[Kayla]

So it must have been on there. And you, you were talking about how you're going to come on a podcast and you're going to share your truth and stuff. And I'm. I could imagine that your DMs were flooded at that point. Wondering what, what is going on? I told you before we started started recording that I went to WrestleMania with my kids last year and the the following. That is WWE. I have never in my entire life seen anything like it. I mean, we're talking the walks of.

[Leah Van Dale]

Life, from grandparents to babies.

[Kayla]

Like shapes and colors from everywhere. People next to me flew in from Ireland. I was shook. I could not believe my eyes. It was the craziest thing I've ever seen. And that's something that you have for life.

[Leah Van Dale]

For life. I'm so grateful that I got to be a part of that. For 12 years, like our fan, like I traveled all over the world, like any country you can imagine. I've been there and with our fans and I feel so blessed that I got to do that for so long.

[Kayla]

That is so cool. I think I saw also. Is Charlotte Flair a female wrestler? Was. Or. She was. I saw her at an airport one time.

[Leah Van Dale]

Okay. Okay.

[Kayla]

Yeah. So I, I only know a little bit from my kids. And then I think the only other mom that I was aware of in WWE was Becky lynch. And then.

[Leah Van Dale]

So it's Becky Rhonda. Rhonda Rousey. She had a baby under.

[Kayla]

Was she. Is she still under?

[Leah Van Dale]

She's not anymore.

[Kayla]

Okay. She was. Okay.

[Leah Van Dale]

And then, and then Nikki and Bri were not with wwe when they had their kids. Got it. And then there's Alexa Bliss. She actually just returned. She had a baby two weeks after I did, and she just came back a few weeks ago, so is that hard to watch? Yeah, it was at first, because when she came back, I didn't know that I wasn't ever returning. So when I was watching her, I was just like. I texted her right away. I was like, oh, my God. That was because she came back. She got such a great reaction. And, like, the fans were so excited to see her. And I was like, hell, yeah. Like, you show them, like, you can be gone for however long and come back, and the kid, like, the crowd is still going to be like, they were erupting for her. And I was so happy for her. And I was like, I can't wait to do that. And then.

[Kayla]

But, I mean, Nikki came back, right?

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah.

[Kayla]

I mean, I know it's not the same.

[Leah Van Dale]

Sure.

[Kayla]

But there was room for her to come back.

[Leah Van Dale]

Yeah.

And that's true.

Like, that's why I'm saying, like, never say never.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

In the future, maybe. Yeah.

[Kayla]

Don't be a hypocrite like me. I said I would never go back to teen mom, and then I made a cameo.

[Leah Van Dale]

So.

[Kayla]

Yeah, so I already asked you, but just for, like, a clear answer, what would you like to see for mothers moving forward, specifically in WWE and athletes across the board?

[Leah Van Dale]

I think moving forward as moms, I feel like I would like more support, like, backstage for these moms. It's like, even if I were to go back, I would have had to leave my son at home with my mom and, like, travel for two days and then come back home. Like, something put in place where women are able to bring their kids to work and have them be there and, like, be in a safe space and not have to worry about, like, putting them in a hotel with, you know, a nanny or something.

[Kayla]

Right.

[Leah Van Dale]

Like, make it. Because this isn't a normal job. This isn't, like, going to, like, bringing your baby to the desk every day at work. This is like, we have to travel all over the world. So some sort of more support for the moms backstage and then just athletes in general, just in a perfect world, not having to choose. Not having to choose career or mom.

[Kayla]

I think that it's really important that you just noted that this isn't a regular job. Right. And. And I don't. I'm not using the word regular to be disrespectful, but this isn't a 9 to 5. And so when people hear that, I don't want them to misinterpret what you're trying to say, because we're. I mean, I think there should be more support across the board for moms in general. Yes, but this is not a typical office job. This is not. You're not a teacher. This is very special circumstances. And I think in order to make everybody happy, but also to include moms in the storylines and to have women as part of the storylines, it's so important for WWE in and of itself that it is important to have support there. Last year, I had Becky lynch on the podcast, and her kids were in the hotel room. And, you know, she travels with them, but I don't think that that's always realistic to leave them in, like, maybe for her. Love that for her, but that's not for everybody. And so, you know, making sure that you have a space to bring and travel with your kids, because if you are in another country for days or weeks on end, you have to, you know, have the support there, and you want to do both. So why can't there be support. Support for women to do both?

[Leah Van Dale]

Right? Especially. And that's what I'm saying, that the circumstances are a little different as an athlete because you're traveling so much. You're on the road, you're in stadiums, you're. It's just a different atmosphere. And there just needs to be more balance, I think, between work and mom and, like, being able to do both.

[Kayla]

Maybe we can be the HR for moms in wwe. Like, you and I team up and we go in there and we're like. Like, hey, here's what we see for WWE and all these other, like, athletic places or. Or entertainment. I don't know, maybe that's what we're implementing here. Sometimes on the podcast, we talk about the mental load of women and how men's lives don't necessarily change the same way that women's do. And we briefly touched on that. But I think that it's, you know, just important to highlight that. That men don't have to think about any of this. Right? Like, they don't. And that's no disrespect to Matt, right? Like, there's no disrespect to Elijah. But at the end of the day, they're not having to think about choosing between anything, travel and career or, you know, an injury or birthing a child in the first place. It's like, you had to think about it. You thought you could have both, you know, Your career and your. And. And being a mom. But you didn't even have to think about the fact, like, you did have to think about, what if something happens to me?

[Leah Van Dale]

Right.

[Kayla]

And men don't really have to think about it because they're men.

[Leah Van Dale]

Right. I mean, and not only was I having all of these thoughts and the mental load, like, you're saying was crazy and dealing with postpartum in and of.

[Kayla]

Itself is just like a nightmare.

[Leah Van Dale]

Men will never understand. And again, not they can, but, like, it's just. They'll never get it. But, like, on top of it, having to feel like I was trying to get myself back into the best shape I possibly could because I wanted to. I didn't want to be like, oh, I had a baby and then my body changed and I can't go back and be Carmela and do things the way I wanted to do them. So on top of all of it, it's like trying to get in the gym and try to make. While dealing with an injury. But, like, what if they call me and want to bring me back for something? I need to make sure I'm ready. I can't just show up and not have to look like I just had a baby, even though I just had a baby. It's like this crazy mindset that you have to be in to and, like, you shouldn't have to look like you didn't have a baby. Well, that's what society is so incredible that they do what they do. And yeah, like, you're saying, like, society. It's like the snapback culture is just like. Or bounce back or whatever they call it. Like, why do you need to bounce back or snap back like you had just had a baby? Give yourself grace and time. But, like, the whole time I'm like, oh, my gosh, now I have to make sure I'm, like, getting back in shape and dieting and this and that. And it's like breastfeeding and not sleeping. Like, it's just so much that. Again, my husband didn't have to think about that. No, he's just eating his pizza, drinking his beer, and living his best life. And I'm over here, like, milking myself. But I mean, it. It's just. It is what it is, you know?

[Kayla]

Yeah. Well, I mean, be. Make sure you're fit. Make sure you're breastfeeding. Don't do formula, no go. But be a mom because your time is ticking. But then also, you have a career. Don't you want to have a career?

[Leah Van Dale]

Right.

[Kayla]

And then Also make sure you look the part. But you also have kids and you can't work because you have to be with the kids and you're not allowed to be away from the kids.

[Leah Van Dale]

Right.

[Kayla]

And so, I mean, it's.

[Leah Van Dale]

It's insane. Like, it's insane when you think about it.

[Kayla]

So when you guys were both, you know, working and things like that, did you have to work at different times so that somebody could stay with the kids? Or did you both go to every.

[Leah Van Dale]

Place together, travel together? So My husband has 50, 50 custody. So we would get his kids Friday through Monday, or it just depended on the week whether we had a pay per view or whatever that.

[Kayla]

Sure, sure.

[Leah Van Dale]

Whatever that looked like. So we would travel together, then come home, get the kids, and then we're. It's like full on, like, right into, like, parent mode. And then as if we weren't just wherever we were last night. It's just funny, but now I just feel like I've been in such mom mode for so long, I don't even know, like, say I, like, did my makeup and, like, got a spray tan. You look. I'm like, who is she? Like, I don't recognize her. I'm not used to it. So it's just funny to, like, not be in that mood for so long. For sure.

[Kayla]

So what's next for Leah? Not. Not Carmella, not Mela, not wwe? What is next for Leah?

[Leah Van Dale]

That's such a good question. I feel like. I mean, perfect world. I would love to get. I love being in front of the camera. I love, like, being over the top, a little annoying, obnoxious. So, like, it worked well for Carmel. I don't know how it'll work for Leah, but we will see about that. I just. I think maybe, like, getting to some hosting space or. I mean, dream job.

[Kayla]

Yeah, dream job.

[Leah Van Dale]

Roxie Hart in Chicago, on Broadway.

[Kayla]

Like, would you do it?

[Leah Van Dale]

I would die.

[Kayla]

Okay, so do it.

[Leah Van Dale]

Oh, my God. Could you imagine?

Yes, I can.

[Kayla]

Yes. Are you kidding me?

[Leah Van Dale]

I would die.

[Kayla]

You better call your agent when you leave here. You're like, on the way to the.

[Leah Van Dale]

Airport and you gotta call your agent.

Like, Billy, I'm like, I can meet you in New York right now.

[Kayla]

Three hours. Just give me three hours. I think that would be cool if you did Broadway.

[Leah Van Dale]

That would be like, dream job.

[Kayla]

Like, no, I can see it.

[Leah Van Dale]

I love, like, that when I was a kid, I'd go to the Rockettes all the time, the holidays, and I would sit there, Radio City, like, in the bathroom, and I'd Tell my mom, like, someday I'm gonna be here.

[Kayla]

Well, I mean, it's not completely out of the question.

[Leah Van Dale]

I mean, I would die to do that.

[Kayla]

Trisha Paytas has done it. Jojo. Joanna Levesque. She did Broadway. You could totally do Broadway.

[Leah Van Dale]

I mean, you think?

Do it.

[Kayla]

Yes. I'll call myself. I'm like, hold on.

[Leah Van Dale]

Put in a good word.

Leah Van Dale is on her way.

[Kayla]

Okay. Yeah. So Broadway and momming, of course.

[Leah Van Dale]

And being a mom, like, truly, I feel so grateful because this, at the end of the day, has been the greatest blessing. Not going back to wwe, because I have been part of my son's life every day for the last 15 months. And you can't get that time back.

[Kayla]

No.

[Leah Van Dale]

And so I wouldn't change it for anything. I've been able to be there for him every step of the way and watch him grow up. And at the end of the day, I can always get a job. But you can't always be there to watch your kids grow up.

[Kayla]

If he grows up and asks you why you left the wwe, what would you say?

[Leah Van Dale]

I would be honest with him. I would tell him the truth and that because I became a mom and like, hopefully at that point in time, we will have progressed as a society and things will be different. And I think that he would be proud of me for speaking up on it and, like, not being small and just speaking my truth. I think he would be proud of it.

[Kayla]

I think so, too. Thank you for sharing your story.

[Leah Van Dale]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Kayla]

Of course. Before we go, where can people find you on socials? Your website.

[Leah Van Dale]

Snatch Co.

[Kayla]

Yes.

[Leah Van Dale]

My Instagram handle just changed, so I'm so not used to this. It's the Leah Vandale, which is wild. It was Carmelo for so long. Yeah. And Snatch Co. And then you can follow Snatch on Instagram. Snatch for her.

[Kayla]

Thank you so much for coming on Barely Famous.

[Leah Van Dale]

Thank you.