CJ Perry opened up about her sobriety journey and the painful moment when her then-husband Rusev served her divorce papers on her birthday.
In a candid interview on TMZ\'s Inside The Ring, Perry discussed the difficult period that led to major personal changes in her life.
When asked about being served divorce papers on her birthday, Perry is sticking to her story. \"Yeah, of course. Like, I literally have proof, but he still will be like.. I don\'t know,\" Perry revealed.
That low point became a catalyst for Perry to examine her own issues, including her relationship with alcohol.
\"I\'m in recovery and I\'m, you know, I had to quit drinking and change a lot of my own things in my own life and I just realized I was pointing at him about so many things, but really I just needed to work on myself,\" Perry admitted.
She also recognized patterns of codependency that contributed to their marital struggles.
\"I was very codependent to him and I think that was the codependency is what made it really hard for me. So when he would be gone at AEW, it\'s like no, I wanted us to be together all the time like how we were together all the time before and I wasn\'t willing to grow and evolve and give him space and kind of get a life for myself,\" Perry explained.
The personal work paid off, as Perry and Rusev have since reconciled and rebuilt their relationship.
\"We\'re best friends. We just went to Formula 1 this weekend,\" Perry said of their current status.
Perry received support from WWE during difficult times, including a personal call from Stephanie McMahon after the Mickey James incident in 2021.
\"I got a text from Stephanie McMahon. And she was like, \'Are you available to talk?\' I was so nervous. And then she calls me and I literally wanted to cry. I love Stephanie McMahon so much. And she was just like, \'We\'re family. Like this was really inappropriate what was done and we just want to check in with you,\'\" Perry recalled.
Perry now hosts the Identity Crisis podcast, focusing on reinvention, mental health, and wellness.
Watch the full interview on TMZ\'s Inside The Ring:
