John Cena's wife Shay, his almost-wife Nikki Bella and every woman he dated between them
John Cena's wife is Shay Shariatzadeh, an Iranian-Canadian electrical engineer and product manager. He was previously married to his childhood friend, Elizabeth Huberdeau. Over the course of his wrestling career, Cena was in confirmed and rumoured relationships with Nikki Bella, A.J. Lee, Mickie James, and Lisa Marie Varon.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- John Cena is married to Shay Shariatzadeh, an accomplished Iranian-Canadian electrical engineer
- The couple's romance began at a Vancouver bar during Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
- He was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Huberdeau, from 2009 until their divorce in 2012.
- Cena dated WWE wrestler Nikki Bella from 2012 to 2018; they were engaged before calling off their wedding.
- John Cena's romantic history includes confirmed WWE storyline relationships with Mickie James and A.J. Lee.
John Cena's profile summary
Full name | John Felix Anthony Cena |
Nickname | John Cena |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 23 April 1977 |
Age | 49 years as of 2026 |
Zodiac sign | Aries |
Place of birth | West Newbury, Massachusetts, United States |
Nationality | American |
Current residence | Land O' Lakes (Tampa Bay area), Florida, United States |
Ethnicity | Italian, English, French Canadian |
Weight in kilograms | 114 |
Weight in pounds | 251 |
Height in centimetres | 185 |
Height in feet | 6'1" |
Eye colour | Blue |
Hair colour | Blonde |
Father | John Joseph Cena Sr. |
Mother | Carol Cena |
Siblings | 4 |
Marital status | Married |
Spouse | Shay Shariatzadeh-Cena |
High school education | Central Catholic High School, Cushing Academy |
Higher education | Springfield College |
Profession | American actor, retired professional wrestler |
Net worth | $80 million |
Social media |
Who is Shay Shariatzadeh, John Cena's wife?
John Cena's wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, is an Iranian-born engineer who grew up in Canada. Shariatzadeh went to the University of British Columbia from 2008 to 2013, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and electronics engineering.
As per her ZoomInfo profile, she has worked as a software testing engineer at Alpha Technologies, a product specialist at Motorola Solutions' subsidiary, Avigilon, and a product manager at Sonatype. Previously, Shay worked at Guess, La Vie En Rose, BrainStation and the University of British Columbia.
Source: UGC
On 12 October 2020, former professional wrestler John Cena got married to Shay Shariatzadeh in a private ceremony at an attorney's office in Tampa, Florida, according to PW Insider and a marriage certificate obtained by People. Two years later, the couple held a second wedding celebration in July 2022 in Vancouver, Canada.
Shay Shariatzadeh and John Cena met by chance at a bar in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he had accompanied a friend to watch the New England Patriots play the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LIII on 3 February 2019.
During an appearance on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show, he said,
I wasn't looking, but, man, it just found me.
Source: Getty Images
The future couple would then take a photo before Cena asked for Shariatzadeh's number. Cena described how he was distracted from watching the game after noticing Shay; he added,
I was so bad. Here I am, hell, this was half a decade (ago). I'm 40, and I'm too scared to approach this girl.
He also revealed his early plans to propose three months into the relationship, before finally opting to propose after a year. The Argylle actor, who left the set of the 2021 film The Suicide Squad early to propose, said,
And I would have done it in three months. It might have been a little weird, yes. I don't want to speak for her, but she didn't say no when I asked.
John Cena's relationship history
17-time WWE world champion John Cena's romantic history includes rumoured relationships, two marriages, and one high-profile engagement. Have a look at details of John Cena's ex-girlfriends, former spouses, and their relationship timelines.
Nikki Bella (2012–2018)
Source: UGC
Former WWE power couple, John Cena and Nikki Bella (Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace) dated for about six years before calling off their engagement. During her 2013 interview with TribLive Radio (recorded by E! Online), she recalled how they started dating,
The first opening line was, 'Hey, do you want to go to dinner with me?' and I was kind of like, 'What? With me?' It just kind of started like a dinner date, and I have to admit we were friends for so many years, but then when you make it romantic, I couldn't even say a word to him.
The couple's relationship featured heavily on Total Bellas, a spin-off of the reality TV show, Total Divas, starring Nikki and Brie Bella. In a scene from season 3, episode 1, aired on 7 September 2014, Cena and Bella discussed their conflicting desires regarding marriage and children. Cena firmly maintained,
I’m trying to be a realist. I’ve told you that I don’t want to get married and I don’t want to have kids, and you do want to get married, and you do want to have kids. So I feel like this is a time-bomb over my head.
In the following season of Total Divas (Season 4, Episode 13), Nikki Bella's former boyfriend, Dolph Ziggler, made a bold approach. He admitted he still had feelings for the WWE wrestler and offered her what Cena could not: marriage and children.
On 2 April 2017, John Cena and Nikki Bella teamed up to wrestle The Miz & Maryse in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 33 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, United States. After their victory, The Cenation Leader proposed in front of a live crowd of over 75,000 fans.
Source: Getty Images
Bella, who wrestled as The Fearless Superstar, shared an announcement of their separation in a now-deleted Instagram post on 15 April 2018. In a May interview on NBC's Today show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, Cena expressed his desire to win his fiancée back after their split, saying,
I still love Nicole. I still would love to marry Nicole. I still would love to have a family with Nicole.
He added,
Life had always been about me, and then slowly over time, this woman waltzes in and just steals my heart. Whether I want to realise it or not, she becomes my number one… So, I’m willing to go back on all of these things that I say just out of stubbornness. ‘I won't have kids. ‘I won't have kids.’
In an exclusive statement shared on People on 30 July 2018, Nikki Bella announced their separation.
After I called off the engagement, we tried to work on our relationship to get back to where it was, and in order to move forward with our wedding. After much time and soul-searching alone and together, we have decided to officially part ways.
Elizabeth Huberdeau (2009–2012)
Source: Facebook
John Cena's ex-wife is Elizabeth Huberdeau, his high school sweetheart. He announced his engagement through a February 2009 feature on Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
On 3 May 2012, TMZ reported that Cena had filed for divorce in Florida. As per the report, Elizabeth's attorney, Raymond Rafool, revealed that she had been blindsided by the petition.
In the same month, she petitioned the court to dismiss the divorce case, claiming that Cena failed to bring a proper dissolution of marriage action against her. A June report by TMZ also revealed that the couple's marriage dissolution was caused in part by a house remodel.
Later in the month, the American tabloid reported accusations of infidelity on Cena's part. Rafool, Elizabeth's lawyer, said,
We're definitely following up on every lead relative to his being unfaithful before and after the separation.
A. J. Lee (2012)
Source: UGC
A.J. Lee and John Cena made headlines as part of a romantic WWE storyline in 2012. Their on-screen romance began in October 2012 when Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero accused Lee of fraternising with Cena.
Their in-ring romance played out intensively in November 2012, when Cena and Lee shared passionate kisses during WWE matches in front of live audiences.
Their first kiss came on 19 November 2012, during an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. The pair locked lips again in celebration after Cena defeated Dolph Ziggler during a Monday Night Raw fight on 26 November 2012.
On 16 December 2012, A. J. Lee turned heel, betraying Cena during his WWE Tables, Ladders, & Chairs match against Dolph Ziggler, ending their romantic storyline.
Mickie James (2007–2008)
Source: Getty Images
John Cena and Mickie James shared an in-ring and real-life romance between 2007 and 2008. On screen, fans were treated to sweet interactions, including one on 5 December 2006 when Mickie James asked John Cena out on a date after he defended her family.
Lisa Marie Varon (2002)
Source: UGC
According to Wrestling Inc, Lisa Marie Varon revealed that she had dated Cena in 2002. She also refuted claims that she was Cena's road girlfriend.
Her statements came after former WWE star Kenn Doane had implicated Lisa Marie Varon as John Cena's extramarital affair partner. In an apology shared on X (Twitter), he said,
Never wanted Lisa to be involved obviously; I was wrong 4 hinting towards her since she is the sweetest person ever. So for that I'm sorry.
FAQs
- Does John Cena have a wife or kids? At the time of this writing, John Cena does not share any children with his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh.
- How did Shay meet John Cena? The couple met in a Vancouver bar on 3 February 2019.
- How old is John Cena's wife, Shay? Born in 1989, Shariatzadeh is 37 years old.
- What does John Cena's wife do for work? Shay Shariatzadeh is a trained electrical and electronics engineer who has worked as a software testing engineer and a product specialist.
- How many times has John Cena been married? The retired WWE wrestler has been married twice.
- Who was John Cena's first wife? John Cena was previously married to Elizabeth Huberdeau.
- Why did John Cena leave his first wife? Divorce filings of the couple's three-year marriage described their union as irretrievably broken.
- Did John Cena and Nikki Bella date in real life? John Cena and Nikki Bella started dating in 2012 and ended their engagement in April 2018.
- Was John Cena married to Nikki Bella? The WWE wrestlers planned to get married on 5 May 2018, but they called off their engagement weeks before the date.
- What happened between John Cena and Nikki Bella? The pair shared conflicting desires around marriage and having children.
Over the decades, John Cena has navigated high-profile public romances alongside his entertainment career. His early relationships include on-screen storylines with Lisa Marie Varon, Mickie James, and A.J. Lee. Today, John Cena remains happily married to Shay Shariatzadeh.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
