John Cena recently made history after he won the Elimination Chamber: Toronto 2025 match, securing his spot in WrestleMania 41, which starts on April 19, 2025. However, the match wasn’t without its faults because, shortly after he won, Cena decided to knee his WrestleMania competitor—and Undisputed WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Champion—Cody Rhodes in the groin while hugging him. This came after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was videoed looking at Cena while giving him a throat-cutting gesture.
These actions soon earned Cena the title of The Heel, which is a wrestling term for someone good turned bad. And while the 16-time world champion has been rather tight-lipped about the whole exchange as of publication, what he hasn’t been afraid to talk about is his wife Shay Shariatzadeh. We dive into their relationship below.
What to know about John Cena’s wife In 2020, Cena (47) married Shariatzadeh (36), the two having met in a restaurant on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2019 after one of her friends asked him for a photo. “So I got a picture with her, and then she brought my wife-to-be over, we have our first fan photo, which we hang proudly where we hang our hats. It’s awesome,” Cena said on The Howard Stern Show in February 2024. “I asked her for her number, and she gave me her number, and I didn’t wait the two days [to reach out],” he continued. “I left the restaurant and on my walk home I [texted], ‘It was so nice to meet you, you’re beautiful, I’d like to get to know you more. If you have any free time coming up, I’ll make time for you.’ She’s, like, ‘You want to go out this weekend?’ I said, ‘Sure.’” John Cena and Shay
A little over a year later, Cena and Shariatzadeh decided to tie the knot in Tampa, Florida in an attorney’s office and have been together ever since. Shariatzadeh currently works as an engineer and can often be found traveling around the world with her husband. “I travel with my wife. We go everywhere together. I certainly value her safety and well-being,” Cena said in an April 2024 episode of the Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast. “One of the promises I made to her on the altar was, ‘I will never put you or I’ll do my best to not put you in undue harm’s way.’”
A look back at John Cena’s dating history Before marrying Shariatzadeh, Cena was betrothed to a real estate broker named Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009 to 2012. They reportedly split because he had several different affairs. Following that, he entered into a very public relationship with pro wrestler Nikki Bella from 2012 until 2018. During their relationship, they were often found on red carpets together and even had two different reality shows, Total Divas (2013 to 2019) and Total Bellas (2016 to 2021). They also got engaged in 2017, but called it off after learning that they had different views on life.
“While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another,” the couple said in a statement. “We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives.” Bella is 41 years old and was married to Artem Chigvintsev from 2022 until 2024.
Does John Cena have children? As of now, Cena doesn’t have any children and is unsure if that will ever change. “I don’t want them,” he said during an episode of Shannon Sharpe’s podcast Club Shay Shay in 2024. “I have a certain curiosity about life, and I also know the investment that it takes.
“And my biggest fear is, as someone who’s driven—many times stubborn and selfish—I try to approach the world with kindness and curiosity, but I don’t think I’m personally ready, nor will I ever be, to invest the time [needed] to be a great parent because I want to live life for all it is. And I still have a lot to do. I still want to do a lot. I have a wonderful partner I do it with. We’ve had open conversations about this. We share the same values.” Shariatzadeh also doesn’t have children, and it is unclear if she wants them or not.
