[REVISION HISTORY]

Simone Johnson career transition from WWE

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-17 18:32 UTC → 2026-09-18 00:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Simone Johnson, formerly known as NXT General Manager ‘Ava’, has transitioned away from WWE to pursue a career in the broader entertainment industry. Johnson revealed that she had been considering this move for roughly a year prior to her contract ending in February, noting that she did not feel she was in a position to continue her professional development within WWE. She has since joined Seven Bucks Productions, a company founded by her parents, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, where she serves as a junior executive involved in script reading and production meetings. During a discussion on Cody Rhodes’ podcast, ‘What Do You Wanna Talk About?’, Rhodes and most of the details regarding her departure were revisited. Johnson expressed gratitude for her time with the company, where she served as the youngest General Manager in NXT history, but noted a need to explore film and television production. Regarding her in-ring career, Johnson expressed hope that it is not over, noting that she misses wrestling but needs to resolve certain physical injuries first. She also reflected on the personal impact of facing fan backlash during her tenure, stating that the intense online criticism she faced during a 2024 storyline involving her father and Cody Rhodes changed her perspective on the wrestling business and helped her build confidence. Rhodes and Johnson also revisited an unproduced storyline concept from 2025. Rhodes described a pitch where, during his feud with Dwayne Johnson’s ‘The Final Boss’ character, he would have offered his soul to Simone Johnson instead of his father to create a unique narrative alliance. The plan reportedly involved Rhodes becoming silent and allowing Johnson to act as his voice; both expressed that the angle ‘would have crushed it’. The storyline ultimately took a different direction, resulting in a heel turn by John Cena at Elimination Chamber 2025. Johnson also reflected on the personal impact of facing fan backlash during her tenure as NXT General Manager, stating that the negative reactions changed her perspective on the wrestling business and helped her build confidence for her professional journey.

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