CJ Perry is finally addressing why she hasn’t followed Rusev back to WWE—and she’s leaving the door wide open for a return.
After Rusev made his WWE return in April 2025, one major piece was missing from the presentation: Perry, best known as Lana, wasn’t by his side. That immediately raised questions about whether she would rejoin him on-screen—or if she was done with WWE altogether. Now, there’s a clear update.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on April 15, 2026, CJ Perry was asked directly why she hasn’t returned to WWE alongside her husband. Instead of giving a straightforward real-world answer, she leaned into her character roots first.
Perry explained that, in storyline terms, Lana is currently “in exile,” framing her absence as part of a larger narrative rather than a simple omission. But she didn’t stop there. Perry made it clear that this isn’t a permanent situation and hinted that her return is more about timing than anything else.
“Well, Lana right now is in exile in Siberia—she let her country down, so she’s doing work there. When the time is right, I will appear, and hopefully that will happen sooner than later. But in the meantime, I’m focusing on writing for Uncrowned.”
She also shifted into a more direct answer about her interest in coming back, making it clear that working with Rusev again is something she actively wants. Perry spoke about how much she values collaborating creatively with her husband and how that dynamic plays into her long-term goals.
“Oh, that would be a dream. I love working with my husband—one of my favorite things to do is work and create and collaborate with other creators, and I think my husband is one of the most iconic wrestlers and creative minds I know. So to be able to do it on the big screen for WWE, I’d take anything.”
For now, Perry is focusing on her work outside WWE, but her comments make one thing clear—this isn’t a closed chapter. Between the storyline tease and her real interest in returning, it sounds more like a matter of when, not if.
Do you want to see CJ Perry reunite with Rusev in WWE, or should he continue his run solo? Drop your thoughts below and leave your feedback.
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