April Jeanette Mendez
Personal details
  • Official sites :

    http://www.theajmendez.com/

  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1987-03-19
    • Born Place: Union City, New Jersey, USA
  • Also Known As:

    AJ, AJ Lee, April Lee, April Jeanette, April Mendez, AJ Mendez, A.J. Mendez, A.J. Brooks, A.J Lee, A.J. Lee, AJ Brooks, A.J Brooks, A.J Mendez, AJ Punk, A.J Punk, A.J. Punk, AJ Cena, A.J Cena, A.J. Cena

April Jeanette Mendez

April Jeanette Mendez, born on March 19, 1987, in Union City, New Jersey, is an American author, screenwriter, and retired professional wrestler, best known by her ring name AJ Lee during her time in WWE. Of Puerto Rican descent, Mendez faced a challenging childhood marked by poverty, mental illness within her family, and frequent moves. Her early interest in professional wrestling was sparked by her brother's passion for WWE, and she solidified her ambition to become a wrestler at the age of 12, drawing inspiration from female WWE stars like Lita. After graduating from Memorial High School in 2005, she briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts to study film and television production, but financial difficulties led her to drop out and work full-time to afford wrestling training. Around the age of 20, Mendez was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a condition her mother also experienced, and she has since become a vocal advocate for mental health awareness.Mendez began her professional wrestling career in 2007 on the independent circuit in New Jersey. She signed with WWE in 2009, spending two years in its developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, before being promoted to the main roster in 2011. During her impactful WWE career, she became a three-time Divas Champion and was recognized with Slammy Awards for Diva of the Year in 2012 and 2014. She retired from in-ring competition in 2015 due to permanent damage to her cervical spine. Following her wrestling career, Mendez transitioned into writing, releasing her New York Times bestselling memoir, "Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules," in 2017. This memoir delves into her tumultuous upbringing, her journey with bipolar disorder, and her wrestling career. She is also actively involved as an ambassador for various organizations, including NAMI, The JED Foundation, and The ASPCA. Mendez is married to fellow retired professional wrestler CM Punk (Phillip Brooks), whom she wed in 2014. More recently, she has expanded her creative endeavors into screenwriting and acting, with an upcoming acting role in the film "Sacramento" (2024) and having co-written and served as executive producer for a TV series adaptation of her memoir.

Person History