Former WWE Superstar April Mendez Brooks, known in WWE as AJ Lee, was recently interviewed by Eric Goldman of IGN to promote her new book Crazy Is My Superpower. AJ Lee revealed in a blog post in early February that she was bipolar. Since then, AJ has received a ton of support from her fanbase.
AJ on her bipolar diagnosis and connecting with fans:
“The really cool thing is I call it my superpower because I think there are other level abilities that come with having something… Some people might think it’s an illness but sometimes it does feel like an extra ability. I think when it’s a part of you, you can see it in other people. I think the fans saw it through the television. And I would see them outside the stands and they’d confide in me about their anxiety, about cutting themselves, about their suicide attempt, and [how] seeing my character on TV made them feel less alone.
As that happened more and more, I realized it was my responsibility to embrace that and be open to them and let them know that they weren’t wrong and they were seeing something that was very similar in me. They could see right through to my soul. So to connect with fans and be even more open was very important to me. Even the fans, I can remember their faces at the signings. I want them to know that we’re similar in that way.”
Her favorite run in WWE:
“I’d probably say when me and Kaitlyn got to have our run together. The decision-makers weren’t really paying attention so we were getting away with so much stuff and our writers were just letting us have free reign and it all got positive reaction and ratings with the fans. And then our superiors took notice and it felt very much like creating your own destiny and working with your best friend in the process. It’s so much fun to be the bad guy. So that feels like the pinnacle of my bad guy reign. I enjoyed being the jerk.”
AJ Lee comments on leaving the Women’s Division in a better place:
“All you could ever want is to leave a place better than when you found it and to know that there’s good people that have this industry in their heart and that they’re succeeding in it and that they’re happy is all you could ever after. I do love Bayley and have such a special place in my heart for her and Paige. I hope that they’re happy and killing it. It makes you feel like “mission complete,” you know?”
You can check out the entire interview with IGN by clicking here.
Posted April 5th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: AJ Lee.
In a blog post at her official website, former WWE performer AJ Lee reveals that she has been battling bipolar disorder for most of her adult life, a condition characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population age 18 and older. AJ candidly revealed,
“But the interesting thing about ‘flaws’ is that they truly are in the eye of the beholder. Weakness can turn into strength with just a simple shift of perspective. You get to choose. One day I made the choice to stop throwing myself a pity party. I chose to stand up and fight. I would embrace what society taught me to shun. What was once my shameful secret was going to become my secret weapon.
When I harnessed its seemingly uncontrollable might, I realized Bipolar disorder’s powers could be used for good. My diagnosis didn’t have to be an affliction. It could simply be the gift of extraordinary emotions. When a loved one hurt, I could feel their pain with every inch of my skin through my super human ability of empathy. When I witnessed injustice, my anger was transformed into righteous indignation, and nothing could stop me from raising my voice. My passion-fueled soul convinced me to jump into life headfirst, without overthinking. When I was scared, my super-sized heart reminded me I could be invincible. When I doubted myself, my overachieving mind made me believe I was capable of flying. And when I desired something, there was not a person on earth who could hold me back. I could walk through fire if it meant making my dreams come true.”
AJ Lee’s forthcoming autobiography “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” will be released on April 4th and can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.com.
Posted February 2nd, 2017 in WWE, News. Tagged: AJ Lee.
AJ Lee’s autobiography “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” will be released on April 4th, 2017. You can pre-order now at Amazon.com. She published the following blog talking about the process of writing the book:
“I must be crazy. Why else would I write a soul-baring, life-exposing memoir after years of being painfully private? Why would I open the impenetrable gates to my little corner of the world? I am viscerally protective of it. I have guarded it like a knight and shielded it from scrutiny. My world is a remote island- a safe, warm, cozy island full of love, adventure, dogs, video games, comic books, and an inordinate amount of coffee. The idea of sharing it initially felt as traumatically vulnerable as how I assume walking stark ass nude down a busy intersection around noon-ish might. But if people are willing to listen to what I have to say then it is my responsibility to say something worthwhile.
My Twitter is mostly asinine jokes that make only me laugh. And I don’t use Instagram because A) my IPhone’s camera roll is basically 5,000 pictures of dogs sleeping in funny positions and B) my cleavage is not that impressive. I’m not great at sharing my day-to-day like my breakfast, gym schedule, or selfies, but I wanted to find a way to share a part of myself that would matter. This book felt like the right way to do just that.
With this book I want to shine a light on the darkest corners of my past. I have grown from them, learned from them, and they have shaped me into the person I am today. And that person is kind of a dick, but has also lived a wild, hilarious, tragic, messy, beautiful life and has learned a lot of lessons. I’ve always told myself that the adversity in my life happened for a reason. Someday I would be able to tell my story, and if that could help even one person, then the chaos had been worth it.
Writing this book was the hardest and scariest thing I have ever done. In its pages lie the worst mistake of my life, the best day of my life, a deeply personal photoalbum, stories of heartbreak, stories of true love, and secrets I’ve kept for far too long. I have never felt more exposed, and that’s coming from someone who has had several wardrobe malfunctions on international television.
This is not a cautionary tale. This is not a memoir that will shame my mistakes and delicately guide you down a better path. This is a memoir that will unabashedly encourage you to f–k s–t up. To embrace your “crazy”, your “weird”, your “weakness”- the things that others will mistake as flaws but will end up being your greatest strengths.
You have all supported me through the years and accepted me as the freak and geek that I am. You have come along for the incredible journey and helped me make all of my wrestling dreams come true. And now you have given me the courage to make my dream of writing a book a reality. I hope this memoir will help you find the strength to fight for your dreams. I hope it will inspire you to find your very own superpower. And most of all I hope it will convince you to wear sensible shoes.
Full disclosure, the majority of this book was written while wearing pajamas well into the day, ingesting an ungodly amount of snack foods, and in between save points of a videogame in which I slayed several dragons, so maybe the word “memoir” sounds a little too extravagant. Let’s just call this “my story”. This is my story. Welcome to my little corner of the world.”
Posted September 23rd, 2016 in News. Tagged: AJ Lee.
The cover artwork for AJ Lee’s upcoming biography has been finalized. “Crazy Is My Superpower” will be released 4/4/17 and can be pre-ordered at this link. Here are the synopsis and cover art:
From beloved WWE champion AJ Mendez Brooks comes a raw and inspirational memoir about how her greatest weakness became the very means for her success, in the ring and in life.
Recently retired WWE superstar AJ Brooks is a powerhouse – strong, quirky, and totally confident. But that wasn’t always the case. Growing up, AJ was a quiet girl trying to act “normal” when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games, inspired by the tough and unconventional female characters. It wasn’t until she discovered the WWE that she learned superheroes could be real.
Determined to become the superhero she’d always needed, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to finally achieve her dream. Yet, she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy.
With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and gain control over her life. What most people view as a hardship, AJ embraced as inspiration for her superhero persona.
Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to empowered WWE champion, Crazy Is My Superpower is an unflinchingly honest and bravely confessional story about the long road to self-acceptance.
Former WWE stars CM Punk and wife AJ Lee are keeping busy this year. While Punk trains for his UFC debut against Mickey Gall in September, he’s also filming an “Evolution of Punk” documentary for FOX Sports that will air leading up to the fight. Director Rory Karpf tweeted this behind-the-scenes shot from filming:
AJ recently put the finishing touches on her “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed By Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” autobiography. As noted, it will be released on 4/4/2017. Here are some photos from her recent book cover shoot:
– “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed By Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” by former WWE Diva AJ Lee has been announced for 4/4/2017. She wrapped the book in late June, seen below:
Looking over art and putting the finishing touches on my brain baby. Are brain kegels a thing? pic.twitter.com/spPitAzLDa
– It looks like John Cena may be missing tonight’s WWE RAW from Detroit. Cena tweeted the following, indicating that he’s in Hollywood rehearsing for this week’s ESPY awards:
A journey does not exist without the 1st step. Good to see you old friend, we've both aged but still going strong! pic.twitter.com/ahBjlxZ5xk
New Day member Big E recently spoke about accidentally striking former WWE performer AJ Lee during his ring entrance ago in 2013. The night after WrestleMania 29, Big E was set to take on Daniel Bryan and had AJ and Dolph Ziggler in his corner. On his way down to the ring, Big E swung his hands in the air as a way to prepare for the match and accidentally struck AJ in the chest. The former Diva of the Year took it in stride, glancing at Big E and moving on with the segment without breaking character. While she no sold it, Big E admits that he was very worried for her.
“That was, at the time, probably the most frightening moment in my career,” Big E said in an interview with the Rappler podcast promoting WWE’s tour of Manila, Philippines in September. “It probably still is.”
The reigning WWE Tag Team Champion also said he wasn’t sure where his errant blow caught Lee and was relieved she wasn’t injured.
“I remember swinging back and knowing that I hit her, and I was expecting to turn around, see this tiny woman on the ground in a pool of blood,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done after that, probably just walk straight to the back. But thankfully, she’s very tough, it ended up hitting her, in, like, her chest or upper torso region, not her face, she was fine. We ended up having a laugh about it later but that could have been really bad, but thankfully, everything’s all good.”
– In the video below, Jake “The Snake” Roberts talks about working with Andre the Giant and how the legendary figure was outside of the ring.
– With Raw emanating tonight from Chicago, Illinois, Big E paid a visit to friend and former WWE Diva AJ Lee at her home. Lee tweeted this photo of E with her dog.
E debuted on WWE’s main roster in December 2012 as an enforcer for Lee and Dolph Ziggler. He would go on to work with the pair for eight months, at which point he branched off on his own.
WWE.com has published a lengthy feature looking at the first incarnation of NXT to celebrate the brand’s 6-year anniversary. Several members from the early seasons were interviewed, including Chris Jericho, Kaitlyn, AJ Lee, Daniel Bryan, Bad News Barrett and more. Here are some quick highlights:
AJ Lee: “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I hope people realize how lucky they are that they don’t have to have chocolate-eating contests and gift-unwrapping contests and dance contests their first day on television [laughs]. We didn’t sleep. Just busy every day, working and training in locker-rooms that were basically large closets.”
Wade Barrett: “When I first heard the idea I didn’t like it. I thought it was like a Total Divas kind of reality show. I thought it was gonna be a bunch of us living outside the ring and being followed around, which I really didn’t like at all. But once I realized it was a competition based on in-ring talent and in-ring talent only, I got a lot more comfortable with it. That’s when I sized up the opposition and really felt confident of winning.”
On Wednesday afternoon, NXT Women’s Champion Bayley noted on Twitter that she was heading to WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT for a “very important business meeting.” Later in the day, she followed up and revealed that she was there to film an episode for the “Edge and Christian’s Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness” WWE Network show.
– As reported earlier this week, WWE signed CMLL star La Sombra. As is the case with most high-profile NXT acquisitions, Triple H took to social media to post a photo of the two together and welcome him to the company. HHH posted the following on Twitter:
Some are just born with the business in their blood…it is my pleasure to welcome Manuel Oropeza to @WWENXT.https://t.co/iPbJQh0eXB
Former WWE Diva AJ Brooks (AJ Lee) has signed on to pen a memoir about her life titled, “Crazy Is My Superpower.” The book is due out in the Spring of 2017 and will chronicle her journey from extreme poverty to international stardom.
The following was announced by AJ Brooks’ book publisher on Thursday night:
The Leschne Agency is pleased to announce the AJ Brooks book deal!
Three-time WWE Diva’s Champion AJ Brooks’ CRAZY IS MY SUPERPOWER, a literary memoir chronicling her unlikely rise from 100-pound nerd growing up in extreme poverty and enduring years of abuse, to international sex symbol and professional wrestling champion (known as AJ Lee) who fought against stereotypes, forced the men in her industry to view her with respect, and inspired a huge fan base of over 2 Million Twitter followers with her fierce independent streak, in a significant deal, on exclusive submission, to Mary Choteborsky at Crown Archetype, an imprint of Penguin Random House, for publication Spring 2017, by Lisa Leshne at The Leshne Agency. Foreign Rights to Sandy Hodgman at Hodgman Literary.
Posted November 20th, 2015 in News, WWE. Tagged: AJ Lee.
– The latest edition of WWE Fury, which you can watch above, features a look at the 16 most painful moves that take place on the ring apron.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens continues to have a good sense of humor, as a fan who attended this week’s NXT panel in London, England posted the following photo of an autograph he got from Owens. Owens had no photo to sign, so he signed over AJ Lee and said, “Oh, she’ll never be back!”
– New twin WWE talents Gabriel Ealy and Uriel Ealy were at the NXT live event in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday evening. Below is a photo of the two hanging out at the show.
Former WWE Diva AJ Lee recently spoke with WomenWriteAboutComics.com about a number of topics, including developing her trademark style in WWE and how she would go about avoiding wardrobe malfunctions. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On her trademark ring attire in WWE:
“I purposely chose to wear a lot of things most people found visually offensive. At first, I picked lots of polka dots and plaid fabrics since it was intriguing to me to utilize something not traditionally feminine or attractive. My thought process was “let’s see if I can succeed while being as innocent as possible.”
I would eventually choose an outfit I felt was a second skin; Converse sneakers, jean shorts, and a cotton t-shirt. I wanted to pick something that reflected my practical style, was comfortable to move in, covered up the goods, and most importantly—was simple to cosplay. I wanted to encourage girls to dress up like me, and in order to do that, the costume had to be instantly recognizable and easily duplicated. Over the years I’ve had hundreds of young women and girls dress up like me for Halloween or at comic cons. It’s wonderfully weird.
On avoiding wardrobe malfunctions:
“Ah, the dreaded nip slip. The ever-looming dark cloud of a compromising HDTV screen grab. Never happened to me, but I was also a wizard with double sided tape and often chose a safe bet of a neckline. The key was really to design an outfit with movement in mind.”
– After missing the most recent set of NXT television tapings due to Total Divas filming in Paris, Eva Marie will return to action at the NXT tapings at Full Sail University on Thursday night.
– WWE is considering Eric Bischoff for a future episode of WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network.
– CM Punk and AJ Lee were in attendance at the Chicago Cubs game in Chicago on Tuesday evening. Below is a photo of AJ Lee in the crowd at the game.
Stephens left WWE last year after starting his career in the company in 2007. Since then, he has been working for Lucha Underground and various independent promotions under the name Big Ryck. He captured the ECW World Heavyweight Championship in 2010, and is recognized by WWE as the final holder of the title. He is also a one-time Intercontinental Champion.
– WWE.com issued this poll today asking fans who is the greatest Divas Champion of all-time. AJ Lee, who won the title on three occasions, currently has over 50% of the votes cast thus far.
– It was reported last week that Jasmin Areebi will be known as Aliyah in NXT. She confirmed the name change on Instagram as her account is now located at instagram.com/wwealiyah.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Hall was in attendance at the NXT live event in Cocoa Beach.
– Former WWE Diva AJ Lee posted the following photos on social media to promote her new collection with the Beautiful Disaster Clothing company that benefits the “PAWS” charity in Chicago.
Former WWE Divas Champion and wife of WWE mega-star turned UFC hopeful CM Punk, AJ Lee, has officially launched “AJ’s Animal Avenger” collection, which in conjunction with the “Beautiful Disaster” clothing company, features four t-shirts and one shirt for dogs.
Proceeds of “AJ’s Animal Avenger” collection will go to the “PAWS” charity based out of Chicago. You can check out AJ’s new collection at BDRocks.
The aforementioned Beautiful Disaster Clothing company made the following announcement:
AJ reached out to Beautiful Disaster Clothing, a long-time favorite brand of hers, to collaborate on creating an exciting clothing line to benefit PAWS Chicago.
“Beautiful Disaster represents society’s misunderstood rebels – strong, brave women and men who have overcome adversity and shout their individuality from the rooftops.
Together, PAWS Chicago and Beautiful Disaster are the perfect match!” she said. PAWS Chicago is grateful for the partnership, which will directly help save the lives of homeless pets.
“This past February, I was home healing from a surgery and was struggling to keep a positive attitude. I needed a purpose greater than throwing a daily pity party for myself,” said Brooks. “I’ve been a rescue dog mom several times and occasionally found comfort in scrolling through pictures of animals on various adoption center websites, just to fantasize about adding to the family. Then I found my guy on pawschicago.org.”
She continues, “The second I saw his face, pointy bat-like ears, soulful eyes, pronounced under bite, hilariously messy hair, with a bit of an attitude problem to boot – I knew I had found the one. I excitedly showed my husband [UFC Fighter, CM Punk] and he immediately fell in love. We both had a deep connection to this mutty misfit. A few days later the little Wolfman, we named Larry Talbot, was a member of the family and helped nurse me back to health. Our little guy has endured such a hard past but is nothing but gracious and loving. He has brought so much happiness into our home that I wanted to find a way to give back to the amazing people who took care of our furry baby before we could.”
– CM Punk and AJ Lee are starring in a movie together. According to mbnnewsvideoweb.com, the former WWE Superstars will co-star in Hellstorm, an action-horror motion picture. The plot is as follows:
After the collapse of the world’s financial system and a devastating world war, a group of mismatched survivors are forced to band together and battle a variety of unexplainable and horrific beasts that descend on their tiny makeshift community.
The film also stars Mat Fraser (American Horror Story), Colleen Camp (American Hustle), Selene Luna (My Bloody Valentine), Kate Hodge (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) and Brian Goff (BorderCross). Shooting begins in mid-November in Ohio.
– NXT Women’s Champion Bayley will be part of WWE’s upcoming tour of the United Kingdom in November. She is advertised for the Nov. 8 show in Liverpool, England and the Nov. 12 event in Newcastle.
– Former WWE Superstar Maven will be wrestling this Saturday for Lucky Pro Wrestling at the Elks Hall 34 Powder Mill Rd. Maynard, Massachusetts. He is teaming with former WWE Superstar Curt Hawkins, now known as “The Prince of Queens” Brian Myers, as they take on The Cam-An Connection. Click here for event details.
Paige recently took part in a Q&A at the Wizard World Comic Con in San Jose, California and among other things, Paige spoke about whether she thought Nikki Bella breaking AJ Lee’s record was a personal shot at CM Punk, as well as her towel angle from RAW several weeks ago.
Regarding the Bella record-breaking reign being a shot at AJ Lee and/or Punk, Paige offered the following response.
“Oh, I don’t think so. Don’t get me involved in this! I don’t need that heat, brother,” Paige said. “I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t get involved in that crap.”
As far as the angle on RAW where she was wearing a towel because The Bella Twins stole her clothes, Paige was asked if she was really naked under the towel.
“That was legit live, guys. I had to run through the hallways in just a towel. I never thought I would be on RAW in just a towel.” Paige continued, “it had to go live, so Vince was like, ‘if she drops the towel everyone on the set is fired’ and I was like, ‘oh, it’s so much pressure’.”
Nikki Bella broke AJ Lee’s record as the longest reigning Divas champion in WWE history on Monday night when she managed to retain her title when Charlotte won by disqualification at RAW. Stephanie McMahon announced a rematch between Nikki and Charlotte for the Divas title at this Sunday’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.
Also announced for Sunday’s pay-per-view on RAW is a WWE Intercontinental Championship match between Ryback and Kevin Owens.
Make sure to visit SEScoops.com on Sunday, September 20th for the best WWE Night Of Champions live results coverage on the web!
WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella, who will break AJ Lee’s record as the longest reigning WWE Divas Champion in history tonight if she defeats Charlotte at WWE RAW, took to social media to hype up her potential record-breaking evening.
“In less than an hour I tie for being the longest reigning Divas Champion in WWE History. In less than 25 hours I make history as The Longest Reigning Divas Champion of all time. 4 the people that believe dreams don’t come true, they do. I am living proof of that. The words of my man John Cena are true… Never Give Up. I never did. And I never will.
– Nikki”
Oddly enough, after such confident tweets, she posted the following photo on her Instagram page with a caption that reads, “I pray this isn’t my last night with you.”
“It’s a shame that some people can’t be happy for others. Relationships are hard to maintain so when you see someone committed to their partner, why must you try and destroy something that he worked so hard for? Respect is mutual. You need to give it in order to receive it. #Blockthehate #Spreadtheword #Passalong”
– After making a cameo in the Madden NFL trailer earlier this week, former WWE Diva AJ Lee mentioned on Twitter that she’s teaming up with the PAWS Chicago organization and designer Beautiful Disaster to help shelter animals.
– Jim Ross tweeted the following photo with his former broadcast partner, Jerry “The King” Lawler while the two of them were doing voice work for WWE 2K16’s 2K Showcase mode:
Former WWE Diva AJ Lee is featured in the official promo trailer for the upcoming Madden NFL 16 video game. The former WWE Diva appears around the 4 minute mark
AJ plays the role of “Trish” and is kidnapped by the villains. This sets up a battle for Trish over a game of Madden.
Posted August 21st, 2015 in News, WWE. Tagged: AJ Lee.
CM Punk recently spoke with Rolling Stone, where he explained why the MMA training he has been doing in preparation for his upcoming UFC debut is becoming frustrating.
“I’m always a little bit frustrated, because it’s just repetition to get muscle memory down so I’m not making the same mistakes,” said Punk. “I think it’s a lot harder than people realize. You’re re-learning this entirely new skillset and trying to condition your body to do things it wouldn’t normally do. It’s challenging and it’s fun.”
The former WWE Superstar who referred to himself as “The Best in the World” also spoke about another frustrating topic — dealing with behind-the-scenes politics at his former place of employment, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
“For the longest time [in] what I did, the competition wasn’t that clean-cut. It didn’t matter if you were the best. There’s slimy backstage politics, there’s always somebody trying to undercut you. To me, there’s something romantic about just you and another guy locked inside a cage and the better man wins. In that time and space, nothing else matters. I definitely think it can be fucking scary, but I like embracing the things that scare me.”
Finally, Punk explained why having his wife — former WWE Diva AJ Lee (April-Jeanette Mendez-Brooks) — has made his transition from one career to another so easy.
“That’s the whole reason I asked her to marry me,” said Punk. “We were friends on the road for so long and she knew everything about me. I would tell her every stupid thing I ever did, and it’s come back to bite me in the ass in certain respects, but there’s no secrets, and I’d have it no other way.”
– Earlier today, Curtis Axel’s profile on WWE.com was altered to reflect his Hulk Hogan-based Axelmania schtick. It has been changed again as all references to the persona have been removed.
When WWE terminated Hogan’s contract two weeks ago amid allegations that he made racist comments, virtually all references to his legendary name were removed from the official website, including his listing as a judge for Tough Enough, his merchandise on WWE Shop, and his entry in the Hall of Fame portion of the Superstars section. This included anything that could be associated with Hogan, which meant the end of Axel’s character.
– AJ Brooks (a/k/a AJ Lee) has changed her Twitter handle to AJBrooks.
At last, I have a new handle: @AJBrooks. New name. Same asinine tweets.
– Here is the synopsis for Total Divas airing on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 9/8 CT on E!: “Tensions ride high in the Bella family when JJ tries to take over the twins’ new business; Trinity goes above and beyond in her role as stepmother; and Eva devises a risky plan to prove herself to the Divas.”