A new reality show starring Brandi Rhodes is currently in development.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Brandi and production company Magilla Entertainment are partnering together for “All Rhodes,” a non-scripted show that will document Brandi’s life at “the center of family, fame, and a rapidly expanding business empire.” There is no network attached at the moment, with the show set to be shopped “imminently.”
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Magilla Entertainment on this new docuseries,” Brandi said. “I’ve long admired their work, and couldn’t imagine a better team to capture the ambition, chaos and heart it takes to build and grow a business.”
Brandi and Cody Rhodes were previously featured in the WBD reality series “Rhodes to the Top” during their time with AEW. On YouTube, Brandi hosts the “A Shot of Brandi” interview show that is currently hosted by WWE.
It’s noted that Brandi’s business ventures include Naked Mind Yoga & Pilates and Pinkerton’s Baby & Kids boutique.
Cody Rhodes told The Breakfast Club last month that, while Brandi isn’t actively involved in pro wrestling right now, he was happy that his wife got to see how much fans supported her when she was part of his WrestleMania 40 entrance.
It’s been four years since Cody Rhodes left AEW — and he says fans still do not know the actual reason for his departure.
Cody and Brandi Rhodes announced that they were leaving AEW in February 2022. Soon after, Cody made his WWE return at WrestleMania 38. He’s now heading into his fourth consecutive WrestleMania main event with Cody set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton next month.
During a media tour in New York City, Cody made an appearance on The Breakfast Club and was asked about a previous comment he made where he credited his wife Brandi for making the “selfless” decision to not talk about why they left AEW. Cody believes that approach has helped both of them move forward. But fans inevitably create narratives when they do not know the reason for something.
“Our departure from when we left the company we were with and helped create, and that was AEW, it came down to her deciding to not talk about it, that departure,” Cody said. “Like, ‘We’re not going to talk about it. We’re moving on. Did bad stuff happen? Good stuff happened too. I’m not going to talk about it.’
“And one of the sad things about not talking about why we left and the departure, one of the difficult things was narratives get created. Stories get told, podcasts happen, fans literally think they know what happened when no one’s been even close. And what I would say is the selfless part, she lives with that. She owns that. She respects not just here, but the place we left enough to, ‘I’m not going to talk about that.’ And that made it so that — they’re good. They’re out of here. That was very, very helpful for us. And again, good stuff happened there too. But that’s what I mean by selfless, because she lives with that.”
Cody said there is no “breadwinner” in their household because he and Brandi built everything together and their pursuits are equally important. At the moment, they are doing their own thing career-wise, but Cody was happy that Brandi got to see how much fans supported her when she was part of his WrestleMania 40 entrance.
Though he has been mostly quiet about the reason for his AEW departure, Cody has said there was a personal issue involved and that he felt “disrespected” at the end of his time there. Despite that, Cody still has love and respect for AEW and is rooting for the promotion to succeed.
Tony Khan only has good things to say about Cody, and the two have had positive interactions when they’ve seen each other in the time since Cody left AEW.
Cody is now a three-time Undisputed WWE Champion. His title defense against Orton is expected to headline night one of WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18.
The Rhodes family has grown by one with the news that Cody & Brandi Rhodes have given birth to a second child.
Announced on social media by Brandi on Friday, the baby girl is named Leilani Ella Runnels and joins their first child, Libby, who was born in 2021. The news comes as a surprise as it wasn’t public that the couple were expecting a second child.
Cody, the reigning WWE Champion, has been off TV since being taken out by Drew McIntyre earlier this month after a tag team match on SmackDown. He is not scheduled for this Sunday’s Clash in Paris and was also recently doing filming for the impending Street Fighter movie reboot that also stars Roman Reigns.
Brandi has mainly been out of the spotlight since she and Cody departed AEW several years ago. She announced two weeks ago that she is opening up a kids boutique in Rosewell, Georgia, to go with her first business: Naked Mind Yoga & Pilates.
Welcome to the world Leilani Ella Runnels. We are in love. Thank you God for answered prayers. Cody + Brandi + Libby + Lani = ❤️ pic.twitter.com/z0kFJcLM0c
The former AEW star shared on social media Sunday that she has officially opened Pinkerton’s Baby & Kids.
“Today I opened my 2nd business,” she wrote on social media. “I cannot describe the feeling of inviting in so many wonderful people and families for the first time. Pinkertons website will be up and running for online orders very soon. I will keep you all posted!”
Today I opened my 2nd business. I cannot describe the feeling of inviting in so many wonderful people and families for the first time. Pinkertons website will be up and running for online orders very soon. I will keep you all posted! ❤️ @pinkertonskidspic.twitter.com/P8HDlab49T
Rhodes’ new boutique features apparel, books, toys, and gifts. The store is located in Rosewell, Georgia and is named after Rhodes’ dog, Pinkerton.
Rhodes was a part of AEW from its inception until 2022, when she and husband Cody Rhodes decided to leave the company. Cody returned to WWE and became one of its bigger stars, having won the WWE Championship on two occasions. Rhodes has made cameo appearances in WWE in the years since, but hasn’t appeared as a regular character on television.
Cody Rhodes’ podcast is launching later this week.
It was announced on Raw that the former WWE Champion would be premiering his ‘What Do You Wanna Talk About’ podcast this Wednesday. It will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and WWE’s YouTube Channel. His first guest will be his wife, Brandi Rhodes. In the clip shown during Raw, the two discussed what they talked about ahead of Rhodes’ WWE return at WrestleMania 38.
What do you wanna talk about? 👀@CodyRhodes has an all-new podcast premiering this Wednesday with very special guest @TheBrandiRhodes!
Rhodes’ podcast was announced back in April as part of a new initiative between WWE and Fanatics. Although it was slated to debut later that month it was pushed back, likely due to Rhodes taking time off following his WrestleMania 41 loss to John Cena.
During the end of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Rhodes made his return after Cena interfered in the main event, helping Logan Paul by attacking World Champion Jey Uso. Rhodes laid out Cena with the crossroads then challenged the two to a tag match for Money in the Bank, which takes place on June 7.
On Tuesday, she posted on social media that she was recovering from surgery after she was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis. She wrote that she was inspired by Maryse Mizanin’s recent battle with getting a diagnosis for what ended up being pre-cancerous tumors in her body that required a total hysterectomy.
3 years of pain with no answers. @MaryseMizanin’s story encouraged me to press on. Many appts later, we found the answer. Stage 4 endometriosis. Successful surgery today. Ladies, listen to your bodies. We don’t have to live with pain. Advocate for yourself. Finally on the road to recovery, we have to talk more about women’s health. Love you @CodyRhodes. I am so blessed with your love.
Cody Rhodes responded on X, writing “I just wrote my book. It only has 2 lines: ‘I love Brandi Rhodes -The End.’”
Brandi Rhodes has stayed out of the wrestling spotlight since leaving AEW in 2022 along with her husband. She appeared at WrestleMania 40 last month to accompany Cody to the ring, then celebrated with him after his Undisputed WWE Championship win.
Brandi Rhodes says she witnessed her fears about AEW become a reality.
She served as the company’s Chief Brand Officer from its inception to her departure in early 2022. She recently told The Athletic that AEW began to drift from what she believed was the original vision.
“What I feared with that company, I was seeing before my eyes,” she said. “When you start to see things drift from the original vision and … I’ve seen this happen before, then you start to (think) this may not be what we thought it was.”
Cody Rhodes also addressed Brandi’s time in AEW during an appearance on The MMA Hour earlier this week. He expressed that how Brandi was treated after leaving the company upset him.
“There are so many people working at AEW who she was the one that said their name. She was the one (who) wanted to keep them in the fold when something went wrong. How she was treated after the departure, this is not by any company, just in general, it pissed me off to this day,” Rhodes said on the show.
Brandi now owns and operates the Naked Mind Yoga & Pilates Studio in Roswell, Georgia. The studio opened in October and offers a variety of classes and childcare for parents.
My studio @NakedMindGA was voted Best in town this year…and we've only been open since October!! 🥳🥳🥳 A lot can happen in a short period time if you grind!! pic.twitter.com/sAX8O54XIw
As part of the premiere of the upcoming American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes documentary that debuts on Peacock in July, I talked with Cody’s wife Brandi Rhodes who was in attendance along with other family and friends.
We talked about her current projects and whether or not she plans to return to wrestling as an on-screen character.
You can watch the entire interview for free above.
A return to TV?
Brandi was not only the chief brand officer of AEW, but also an on-screen character that even wrestled several matches throughout her time with the promotion. However, once she and her husband departed from AEW and Cody went off to WWE, we had not seen much of her on-screen. Many people have wondered if she would also be on WWE TV — something we have yet to see.
She said she doesn’t “think it’s going to happen anytime soon,” given that she is working on another project: the start of a yoga and pilates studio.
“…I’ve been very candid and very quiet and working diligently for over a year now on a new journey. I decided a while ago that I was going to open a yoga and pilates studio and that it really helped and healed me in so many ways after having Liberty (their daughter), going through the changes that we went through and I just wanted to spread that to people,” she said, adding the goal is to open the studio by this fall.
The journey of yoga
She also shared that her love of yoga began during the pandemic. She had never taken a yoga class before, but once she did, she enjoyed the communal aspect of it.
“I always thought, ‘Oh, this just is not for me. I don’t belong here.’ But I actually started doing yoga through Peloton and just the sense of community with Peloton just felt so great. It actually encouraged me to step out and get into a studio post-pandemic,” she explained.
“Then I was able to do yoga through the pregnancy and just being able to come to that and feel accepted, especially in the world of sports entertainment, where acceptance isn’t a word you ever really hear, it’s kind of like, do what everybody else wants you to do and do it perfectly or everybody hates you,” she said.
Brandi said that yoga is a practice and that those who take it up show up as their are and work on themselves, being accepted wherever they find themselves in life.
“You’re accepted where you are in the journey. So I just felt like it was so beautiful and so wonderful for me to come to every time I felt a certain way in my life. And it was just really healing and uplifting. So, I’d like to pay it forward,” she said.
What records has the Royal Rumble 2023 already set and what records have a good chance to be set
Amazing advance for the show
The debate about the men’s winner and prior year comparisons
The Steve Austin question
The business of Peacock
Original Austin approach
Cody Rhodes return
Full rundown of Raw 30 and the giant ratings and how each segment did
Complaints by the Bellas about the show
Why certain segments of the show changed
The story behind WBD clearing Mark Briscoe and the reason that hasn’t come out why there were previous issues
Different ways AEW paid tribute to Briscoe
Update on family and fundraisers
A look at the Okada-Kiyomiya angle and the keys to it
The Muto retirement at the Tokyo Dome show
What the New Japan vs. NOAH show and other New Japan shows have shown about recovery of the business
UFC 283 coverage with the retirements of Shogun Rua and Glover Teixeira
What is next for Jamahal Hill and Brandon Moreno
Business notes on the show
A look at the life and career of Jose Aldo and his biggest fights including how one of his fights changed the entire direction of MMA for lighter weight fighters and was so successful the company closed up, as weird as that is to say
A look at more Japanese awards voting
The life of Benny Galant, a 60s star who passed away this week who was a major rival of the biggest names in the history of Mexican wrestling, including El Santo and Mil Mascaras, and twice set EMLL’s company gate records. This is a major history piece covering one of the biggest eras of wrestling in any country.
The most detailed look at the ratings from the past week
Streaming numbers, international numbers
Ticket advances for all AEW & WWE shows through WrestleMania
What could be CMLL’s best match of this year
The story behind Negro Casas jumping to AAA, how long has this been in the works, how long has Konnan wanted this and his duties outside the ring
A look at upcoming AAA major shows
Update on a number of upcoming major New Japan shows
What former WWE star is mad at Dwayne Johnson over his portrayal in Young Rock
80s star arrested for a number of things
WBD head talks AEW and Slap Fighting
Behind the AEW new deal with DAZN
Lawsuit filed against AEW
Update on Kenny Omega
San Francisco records for wrestling
Conor McGregor investigation reported
Lots of big UFC fights announced
More on Luke Rockhold coming out of retirement
Famous MMA trainer will no longer corner fighters
Former pro wrestler talks about Slap Fighting and what he was offered
Update on Vince McMahon in the office
Another lawsuit filed against WWE regarding McMahon’s return and how two other suits were basically nullified
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Tuesday Update
WWE
Variety is reporting that John Cena is currently in Australia where he will be filming a movie with Zac Efron called “Ricky Stanicky.” Shooting will begin next month.
Content added to WWE’s YouTube page today includes Edge vs. The Miz from the January 31, 2011, edition of Raw and Goldberg vs. Evolution from the November 17, 2003, edition of Raw.
AEW
This week’s AEW Road to focused on Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley, Jade Cargill’s match against Red Velvet, and Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher.
Sam Adonis vs. La Estrella is now set for MLW’s SuperFight this Saturday.
Brandi Rhodes was interviewed by The Bare Magazine. She talked about her decision to leave wrestling, saying “I feel very good about the decision,” she said. “There was a lot about my position in the industry that took a lot of the joy out of it for me. Life is too short to be fighting so hard and still left feeling unfulfilled. Especially with everything that I have to offer still mentally and physically. I’d like to experience joy in my contributions at this point.”
YOH was pulled from this morning’s NJPW Road to the New Beginning due to a fever.
Brandi Rhodes is not currently looking at getting back in the ring.
The 39-year-old spoke to Steve Fall of the Ten Count podcast and said she has no plans to resume her wrestling career at the moment.
“I’m not going to say absolutes but I will say right now, it’s not in my plan. I kind of did myself a good service, I think, in taking a beat. My number one priority when everything happened and we left AEW, my number one priority in all of that was making sure that my husband’s dream was realized because, hey, it’s been a dream that’s been in the making for him since he was four years old, so I think it’s a good thing that you press forward and we’ve got to see this through.”
“I was kind of always on the back burner in that sense and working on other things. I’ve got Shot of Brandi out there in the ether, I started doing this podcast, and I do have some other things that are cooking in the non-wrestling world. So, in that period of time I got to spend a lot of time with my daughter, I got to watch her develop in these unexpected ways and find these different things that she’s really thriving at and really liking and I wanted to really be a part of it.”
“I won’t say, ‘no, it’s not going to happen,’ but I will say that right now, it’s not front of mind for me.”
Rhodes reportedly took part in a match at the WWE Performance Center in August. Her last official match took place on the January 6 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. She defeated KiLynn King on the show.
Brandi Rhodes has reportedly made her in-ring return.
According to a report from PW Insider, Rhodes wrestled a match on Friday, August 12 from the WWE Performance Center. WWE will frequently hold in-house live events from the PC on Fridays to give developing talent more in-ring time.
The 39-year-old noted in an interview with Muscle & Fitness last month that she plans to resume her in-ring career.
“I’m still training all of the time,” Brandi said. “People can connect the dots and make of that what they will. I will tell you; I wouldn’t be training and getting beat up (laughs) just for the hell of it, so obviously I do plan to continue my in-ring career. When and where? That is yet to be seen but I hope when it does happen, everybody is happy and proud.”
Rhodes’ last match took place on an episode of AEW Dark filmed on January 26. She defeated KiLynn King on the show.
Though she hasn’t wrestled since her AEW departure, Brandi Rhodes’ in-ring career isn’t over.
While speaking to Muscle & Fitness for a profile on how she stays fit through motherhood, Brandi confirmed that she plans on wrestling again. Brandi said when and where she makes her return remains to be seen, but she hopes everyone is happy and proud when the return happens.
“I’m still training all of the time,” Brandi said. “People can connect the dots and make of that what they will. I will tell you; I wouldn’t be training and getting beat up (laughs) just for the hell of it, so obviously I do plan to continue my in-ring career. When and where? That is yet to be seen but I hope when it does happen, everybody is happy and proud.”
Muscle & Fitness noted that Brandi is a regular at the Nightmare Factory training school. Last week, Brandi posted video of herself working out at the school:
Brandi and Cody Rhodes announced this February that they were leaving AEW. In addition to being a wrestler and on-screen performer for the company, Brandi was AEW’s chief brand officer.
Cody Rhodes made his return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 this April. He’s currently out of action after undergoing surgery last month to repair his torn pec.
It was announced in March that Brandi and DIGA Studios were partnering together in an attempt to bring Brandi’s “Shot of Brandi” YouTube series to a television channel or streaming platform.
After departing AEW, Brandi Rhodes is working on bringing a TV show to air.
It was announced via Deadline today that Rhodes has partnered with DIGA Studios to bring her “Shot of Brandi” YouTube show to television. Deadline wrote that DIGA Studios is currently taking the series out to broadcasters and streamers.
Episodes of the show will be 30 minutes long. DIGA Studios also produces reality shows “Selling the Hamptons” and “Hot Ones: The Game Show.”
“Shot of Brandi” was started by Rhodes on YouTube. It was later featured on AEW’s YouTube channel, but Rhodes noted after leaving AEW that the series was hers and would continue. Rhodes hosts the show, which “sees her cook and chat with celebrities in and out of the wrestling ring.”
“I started shooting this show in my kitchen four years ago with two iPhone cameras and a cocktail,” said Rhodes. “I am excited to see the show evolve and thankful for the fans who have followed along. I assure you, now that I’m working with DIGA the best is yet to come.”
“Brandi is an incredibly dynamic talent who just pops off the screen, and this genre busting concept she created is the perfect showcase for her electric personality,” said Tony DiSanto, CEO of Allyance Media Group and DIGA Studios. “We are beyond excited to dive into this project with her and share some great food, drink, fun and a hell of a lot of laughs with viewers everywhere.”
On February 15, it was announced that both Brandi and Cody Rhodes had departed AEW after failing to come to terms on new contracts. Cody has reportedly signed with WWE and is scheduled to face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.
Brandi Rhodes had worked for AEW both as an on-screen performer and as the company’s chief brand officer.
In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer delved more into the Cody & Brandi Rhodes split from AEW from the timeline that led to the end, possible reasons, and the reaction from both the AEW and WWE locker rooms.
Meltzer noted that both the Khans and the Rhodes agreed to not publicly discuss the reasons for the split.
Timeline and reasons for the split
He confirmed both Rhodes family members had signed three-year deals that expired on December 31st. One of the bigger questions out there is why Khan didn’t pick up Rhodes’ two-year option like he has done with other talents like the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Chris Jericho.
He wrote that a source “near the top” told him everyone has been quiet about the situation with the option while another said that “Khan saw that Rhodes wasn’t happy and even with the option period, Khan was agreeable to allow him to go if he didn’t want to stay.”
There had been negotiations for a new deal with Cody and Brandi over the last six weeks with both working in community relations and otherwise as if they were staying. As recently as five weeks ago, Khan thought both were staying with negotiations breaking off this past Monday.
Meltzer said “most of the top people in AEW were not aware anything was up and figured they were staying” until last Monday.
Regarding the SI report that said Rhodes’ loss of booking power was a key factor in his decision to leave, Meltzer wrote, “It is true that Rhodes was expecting more power over things like booking than ended up transpiring when Khan took over the booking process at the start of 2020, but that issue took place more than two years ago. Rhodes, the Young Bucks and (Kenny) Omega all had input on the booking, but in the end, it was Khan’s decisions.”
He later wrote, “There were definitely issues with the women’s division which, at first, was earmarked for Brandi, but Omega ended up getting more control and being heavily involved in match layouts. But even then, it’s still Khan who had the final say.”
Relations among the EVPs
Meltzer said that according to multiple people, “the EVPs were actually on their best terms in a long time of late” and were working as recently as last week on future projects.
Even with reports coming out last year about issues between the group, Meltzer wrote there was never a period of time in which they all weren’t talking. Rhodes’ relationship with both the Bucks and Omega was always more about business than a friendship whereas Omega and the Bucks are very close personally.
Rhodes To The Top season 2
Meltzer reported that filming for season two for Rhodes To The Top had begun and that TNT is exploring options of what to do with that footage they already have. Those decisions are likely to be made in the coming weeks, but everything is up in the air right now.
Reaction within AEW and WWE
He said that while many within AEW went public with their praises for both Cody and Brandi, some are happy they are leaving and with the sentiment that “the ‘hero treatment’ given to him by some in the company after he left is a great public story but not the real story.”
He added that “a lot of the talent quietly were celebrating and that it wasn’t all the sadness that it was made out to be” with the reaction being a positive one from much of the locker room despite Rhodes having his supporters.
He wrote that Rhodes was the most hands-on backstage of the EVPs and “the differences of opinion on him stemmed from those who liked his being the most aggressive and those who didn’t like it.”
He said talent in WWE were talking as if the split was due to AEW’s budget.
“Two WWE names who were both great workers had deals up, with Kevin Owens being one and the other not being Sami Zayn, but someone whose contract situation has not been public, and there was at least interest in them as far as seeing what AEW had. Legally, neither one could be negotiated with and Owens signed a new deal before his old deal expired. The other is still with the company appearing regularly on television. AEW didn’t make a play and the word was that AEW had a talent budget and were not going to match the WWE’s high offers unless or until they got a new and higher paying television deal and that won’t be until the start of 2024,” he wrote.
