AJ Lee — Biography
April Jeanette Mendez is a professional wrestler, author, and screenwriter hailing from the United States. She is known in the wrestling world by her ring name, AJ Lee, and is currently signed to WWE. Mendez embarked on her wrestling journey in 2007 on the independent circuit in New Jersey. She joined WWE in 2009, where she spent the next two years in its developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, before advancing to the main roster.
In 2012, she gained significant attention for her portrayal of a "mentally unstable" character, which included notable storylines featuring high-profile relationships and a three-month term as General Manager of Raw. Throughout her career, she achieved remarkable success, winning the Divas Championship three times, tying the record, and holding the title for an impressive total of 406 days. Additionally, she was honored with the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in both 2012 and 2014, and from 2012 to 2014, readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated named her Woman of the Year. After stepping away from in-ring competition in 2015, Mendez published her memoir, Crazy Is My Superpower, in 2017, which became a New York Times Best Seller.
In September 2025, she made a surprising return to WWE after a decade-long hiatus, confronting and attacking Becky Lynch. An advocate for mental health and animal welfare, Mendez has supported various organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Jed Foundation, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She received NAMI's Multicultural Outreach Award in 2018. Embracing her identity as a tomboy, Mendez enjoys comic books, anime, and video games. She has a tattoo of tally marks representing the date of her first WWE Divas Championship victory on the back of her neck. Of Puerto Rican heritage, Mendez married fellow wrestler Phil Brooks, famously known as CM Punk, on June 13, 2014. As of September 2025, she has garnered a following of 1.4 million on Instagram.
In 2012, she gained significant attention for her portrayal of a "mentally unstable" character, which included notable storylines featuring high-profile relationships and a three-month term as General Manager of Raw. Throughout her career, she achieved remarkable success, winning the Divas Championship three times, tying the record, and holding the title for an impressive total of 406 days. Additionally, she was honored with the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in both 2012 and 2014, and from 2012 to 2014, readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated named her Woman of the Year. After stepping away from in-ring competition in 2015, Mendez published her memoir, Crazy Is My Superpower, in 2017, which became a New York Times Best Seller.
In September 2025, she made a surprising return to WWE after a decade-long hiatus, confronting and attacking Becky Lynch. An advocate for mental health and animal welfare, Mendez has supported various organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Jed Foundation, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She received NAMI's Multicultural Outreach Award in 2018. Embracing her identity as a tomboy, Mendez enjoys comic books, anime, and video games. She has a tattoo of tally marks representing the date of her first WWE Divas Championship victory on the back of her neck. Of Puerto Rican heritage, Mendez married fellow wrestler Phil Brooks, famously known as CM Punk, on June 13, 2014. As of September 2025, she has garnered a following of 1.4 million on Instagram.
