AJ Lee Shines at San Diego Comic-Con: From the Ring to the Writer’s Room
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the spotlight turned to transformation — not through costume or CGI, but through personal evolution. One of the standout voices on the “Actors Turned Writers” panel was none other than AJ Lee, the former WWE Superstar turned mental health advocate and co-writer of Dark One: Forgotten and the upcoming supernatural horror series Dead Girl.
In a deeply heartfelt moment during the panel, Lee was asked whether she misses the physicality and fan interaction of her wrestling days. Her response reminded fans why she’s remained such a beloved figure in pop culture.
“My fans are like pieces of my family,” Lee shared. “My mission in doing everything in the public sphere has been to help people feel less alone — to help wonderful weirdos realize that underdogs are cool, and we can be the stars of our own stories.”
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She elaborated on the mutual support she has given to fans over the past decade. A few of them have gone on to become wrestlers themselves or pursue careers in mental health, a cause that is close to her heart.
“I don’t know if they realize that they’ve helped me feel less alone, too,” she said, her voice cracking with genuine emotion. “It’s like a family bond.”
Lee found joy in connecting with wrestling fans in unexpected places like mental health conferences, even though she acknowledged the absence of weekly fan interactions.
“They are the most beautiful people in the world,” she said.
The ring still holds a special place in her heart. Lee was surprised by the natural response of her body after an eight-year hiatus from in-ring action.
“It’s like riding a bike… a really painful bike,” she laughed.
The crowd cheered when her laughter was heard. Lee shared a glimpse of her creative endeavors. Her new project, Dead Girl, co-written with long-time friend and actress Amy Garcia (Lucifer and Dexter), is a supernatural horror story that blends the mystical with the macabre.
“It’s about a witch mother who has to work with her coroner daughter to solve a supernatural serial killing,” she explained. “It’s our ode to The X-Files, a believer and a skeptic — but stuck with each other, like a mother and daughter.”
The cultural nuances, folklore, and familial tension in Dead Girl have been infused by Lee and Garcia’s shared Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage.
“Our culture played a big role in how we solve the supernatural and genre and magic,” Lee said. “There’s kind of a beauty to the darkness — a belief that even when you pass, you just transcend.”
AJ Lee continues to inspire with her authenticity and vulnerability, as she breaks barriers in wrestling, advocates for mental wellness, and embraces her inner storyteller. Her performance in the ring, on stage, or behind the camera proves that underdogs not only survive but also lead.
Do you think she’ll ever return to the squared circle full-time?
Let’s just say never say never.
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