AJ Lee recalls a shocking fan reaction to her 2012 heel turn in WWE.
With every wrestling heel turn, typically comes negative reactions from the surrounding audience. For former Divas Champion AJ Lee, that sentiment especially rang true at WWE TLC 2012 as she betrayed John Cena in his Ladder Match against Dolph Ziggler.
“I can’t use the words because they’re the filthiest words ever, but my favorite instance [of a fan being upset with the on-screen character] was I did, it’s called a heel turn, when you go from a babyface to a bad guy. My first time ever doing that was I turned on John Cena, like pushed him off a ladder,” Lee told The Match-Up With Aliyah.
AJ Lee says the fan’s father praised him for insulting her
“I will never forget going down the entrance ramp and this dad and little boy were like, ‘Yay!’ They were so happy to see me. Then I turned on John Cena and I was coming to the back. This little boy said the most foul curse word at me. Then his dad was like, ‘Yeah that’s right!’ His dad was so proud of him. And I was like ‘A reaction!’ (gives thumbs up).”
Heading into TLC, Lee had portrayed Cena’s on-screen girlfriend, with her even supporting Cena in the early portions of his Ladder Match. When Cena later began climbing the ladder, however, Lee tipped it over, causing Cena to fall and eat a superkick from Ziggler. With Cena neutralized, Ziggler then climbed the ladder himself to retrieve his Money in the Bank briefcase hanging above it.
AJ returned to WWE in 2025, with her last match coming at WrestleMania 42. She teased going on a hiatus after the PLE, and a recent report noted that there is hope she will return to do more in the future at big events like SummerSlam.
RELATED: AJ Lee Reveals Mental Health Protections Were Written Into Her WWE Contract
