She was born Leah Van Dale in the modest hills of Spencer, Massachusetts—Italian-Dutch blood in her veins, the kind of kid who could hit a perfect cheer stunt and still run track in the cold New England wind. But to wrestling fans across the globe, she became something flashier, fiercer, and far less forgettable: Carmella. The self-professed “Princess of Staten Island.” The chin-popping, moonwalking villainess who blurred the line between heel and heroine with every step in stilettos.
Carmella was always more than a gimmick, even if she sold the gimmick better than most. And in a WWE era overloaded with high work rate and low charisma, she dared to be something else: a character.
From Sideline to Spotlight
Long before she was flipping in the ring, Van Dale danced for the NFL’s New England Patriots and later twirled under the bright lights as a Los Angeles Lakers Girl. But wrestling was always the dream—one passed down from her father, Paul Van Dale, a journeyman wrestler who took his lumps in the WWF.
In 2013, the dream became real. Van Dale signed with WWE and began her transformation in the crucible of NXT. There she adopted the ring name Carmella and got paired with the loudmouth duo of Enzo Amore and Big Cass—two walking stereotypes with enough charisma to melt microphones. Carmella was their spitfire sidekick, a gum-snapping hairdresser with Bronx bravado.
She made fans love to hate her.
She also made them take notice.
Main Roster Moonwalk
The 2016 WWE Draft brought her to SmackDown, and the main roster debut wasn’t the smoothest. But Carmella had the moxie. She wasn’t a four-star match machine, but she was a story every time she walked out. She turned heads—and not just because of her gear.
Then came the turn. A steel chair to Nikki Bella. A cat-scratch feud filled with reality TV meta-drama. For the first time, Carmella stepped out of the shadow of her hype men and into the heat of her own spotlight.
She never left.
Banking on Herself
In 2017, she made history. At the first-ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, she won in controversial fashion—thanks to a helping hand from her on-screen beau, James Ellsworth. Critics howled. Fans groaned. But Carmella? She smiled.
Because she knew the game wasn’t just about climbing ladders. It was knowing when to jump.
For 287 days she held that briefcase, longer than anyone before her. She milked it. Taunted with it. Teased the cash-in every chance she got. And on April 10, 2018, when Charlotte Flair lay broken after a beatdown from the IIconics, Carmella pounced. One kick later, she was the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
They said she couldn’t wrestle.
She said, “Watch this.”
The Reign and the Risk
Her 131-day title reign was half glam, half grit. She beat Charlotte. Beat Asuka—twice. She did it with distractions, with drama, with panache. She leaned into the role. She made people care. In a division where skill was currency, she paid in attitude—and it worked.
Then came the fall. Becky Lynch rose. The momentum shifted. But Carmella didn’t disappear. She just evolved.
Fabulous Truth and the 24/7 Circus
Enter R-Truth.
Together, they became the most unexpected delight in WWE: The Fabulous Truth. Dance breaks. Mixed Match Challenge comedy gold. Chemistry you couldn’t bottle.
They won. They lost. They laughed. She even captured the 24/7 Title—four times. Rolled up Truth. Got pinned backstage. Took it back. It was chaotic, absurd—and Carmella was the eye of that comedic storm.
Even in skits, she worked.
Makeover of a Heel
Then came the “Untouchable” era. Gone were the dance breaks. In their place, vignettes of a mystery woman—furs, heels, shadows. When she unmasked, Carmella reemerged sharper, colder. She feuded with Sasha Banks, nearly dethroned her.
She called herself “The Most Beautiful Woman in All of WWE.”
And you couldn’t prove her wrong.
Tag Gold and Real Life Crossroads
In 2021, she teamed with Queen Zelina to capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Another title, another notch. WrestleMania 38 saw the team lose their gold, and the very next night, their partnership dissolved in a backstage brawl.
Behind the scenes, life shifted. In 2022, Carmella married WWE commentator Corey Graves. Miscarriages. Pregnancy complications. She opened up about it all—not just on her podcast “Bare With Us,” but publicly, bravely.
In a world of kayfabe, she dropped the mask.
A Farewell, Not a Finish
After a return in 2023 and a few matches back in the mix, Carmella quietly stepped away to focus on family. By February 2025, her contract expired. WWE thanked her. Fans applauded. And Carmella—Leah—turned another page.
Twelve years in a business that breaks people early. Championships. History-making moments. Criticism. Comebacks.
She walked through every fire in heels.
More Than a Diva
Carmella will be remembered for her outfits, her entrance, her attitude. But the real legacy is subtler: She made being more matter. More style. More drama. More character. In a landscape of sameness, she was Technicolor.
The “Princess of Staten Island” made you care. And in wrestling, that’s the crown jewel.
So here’s to the moonwalk, the mic drops, the mischief.
Carmella cashed in. And damn, did she collect.
