Cody Rhodes And Brandi Rhodes Address AEW Departure
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Cody Rhodes, a foundational figure in the launch of All Elite Wrestling and a former WWE Champion, recently opened up alongside his wife, Brandi Rhodes, about the portrayal of their departure from AEW in early 2022.
Speaking on the premiere episode of Cody's podcast, What Do You Wanna Talk About?, which debuted this week, the couple briefly touched upon how they felt the narrative surrounding their exit was handled.
Cody and Brandi were a huge part of AEW's formation in 2019, with Cody serving as an Executive Vice President and Brandi as the Chief Branding Officer. Their decision to leave the company after three years was a big moment in the wrestling landscape, leading to Cody's eventual return to WWE at WrestleMania 38.
While they didn't delve deeply into all the specifics of their departure on the podcast, Cody suggested their story was altered after they left. "We're not gonna get too far into it, but when we left the alternative promotion, we were also slightly rewritten," Cody stated. He then added that they "[We] were portrayed very Dark Knight-esque."
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This "Dark Knight-esque" allusion refers to the 2008 Batman film, where the hero takes the fall for crimes to protect the city's image, becoming a hunted figure despite his heroic deeds. Cody seemed to imply a similar scenario where their public view was shaped into a more villainous or misunderstood light following their AEW exit.
Brandi Rhodes, also present on the podcast, appeared to embrace this darker portrayal with a touch of humor. "No. Believe it all for me. Let the darkness in. Just enhances my beauty. I'm like the wicked stepmother or something," Brandi commented, playing into the "Dark Knight-esque" comparison.
Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes of TNT's All Elite Wrestling attend the WarnerMedia Upfront 2019 arrivals on the red carpet at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 15, 2019 in New York...
Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes of TNT's All Elite Wrestling attend the WarnerMedia Upfront 2019 arrivals on the red carpet at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 15, 2019 in New York City. More
The couple primarily shared stories from other promotions during the rest of the podcast episode and did not expand further on their reasons for leaving AEW. While Brandi has not officially signed with WWE, she has made several appearances on WWE programming, notably celebrating with Cody when he won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XL in 2024.
Cody made his own impactful return to WWE television at Saturday Night's Main Event on May 24, 2025, setting up a major tag team match for Money in the Bank.
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