Former Top Champion Confirms Her Departure from WWE

Leah Van Dale, formerly known as Carmella in WWE, has confirmed her departure from the company through a change to her social media profiles. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion has updated her username to reflect her real name, a practice typically associated with wrestlers who have concluded their tenure with a promotion.

This development follows reports from both Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select and Masked J of PWN who indicated that Van Dale’s contract with WWE had expired. According to these sources, there has been no information regarding whether Triple H intends to present a new contract offer when she receives medical clearance to return to in-ring competition.

Van Dale has been absent from WWE programming since March 2023 when she took maternity leave following her final televised match against Bianca Belair on the March 6, 2023 edition of RAW. During her time away from the ring, she encountered health complications, reportedly suffering nerve damage in her foot during childbirth, an issue she has been recovering from since.

The username change effectively concludes her association with WWE after nearly 12 years with the company. Throughout her tenure, Van Dale established herself as a significant figure in the women’s division, capturing multiple championships including the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

While her WWE career has concluded, her husband Corey Graves continues his role with the company as a member of the NXT commentary team.

This departure adds to the list of talent releases from WWE in 2025, following a significant number of roster changes earlier this year.