April Jeanette Mendez

Born

1987-03-19

Birthplace

Union City, New Jersey, USA

Biography

April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and author. As of September 2025, she is signed to WWE, where she performs under the ring name AJ Lee. Mendez began her professional wrestling career in 2007 in New Jersey's independent circuit. She signed with WWE in 2009 and spent two years in its developmental branch, Florida Championship Wrestling, before her promotion to the main roster. In 2012, she rose to prominence through storylines with her "mentally unstable" character, such as high-profile relationships and a three-month stint as the General Manager of Raw. In subsequent years, she won the Divas Championship a record-tying three times[a] and held the title for an overall record of 406 days. She also won the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year in 2012 and 2014, and readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated voted her Woman of the Year from 2012 to 2014. She initially retired from in-ring competition in April 2015, but returned to WWE over a decade later in September 2025.