Simone Johnson, better known to WWE fans as Ava, has opened up about the decision to leave WWE earlier this year. The daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said the choice was difficult, but she had reached a point where she no longer felt she was in a position to grow within the company.
Speaking with Cody Rhodes on “What Do You Wanna Talk About?,” Johnson explained that leaving WWE was not a sudden decision. She had been considering her future for roughly a year before deciding not to renew her contract, with the former NXT General Manager wanting to experience something beyond professional wrestling.
“Incredibly. It had been something that I had been thinking about for about a year. I knew my contract was up in February. A couple things had been happening. There are a lot of different reasons why I chose to leave. It was incredibly hard, but I felt like it was time. I really wanted to grow, and I didn’t feel like I was in a position at WWE to where I could grow. I’m incredibly grateful for my time there, would not change it for the world, but I knew I needed to do something else. I needed to learn and grow and see what’s on the other side.” [H/T Fightful]
Simone Johnson was clear that her WWE experience remained important to her despite the decision. Rather than pointing to one particular incident, she described her departure as the result of several factors and a growing desire to take on something different.
Her comments also explain why she chose to move on while she was still serving as one of NXT’s most recognizable authority figures. The 25-year-old star had been thinking about the next stage of her career well before her contract reached its end.
What Happened to Ava After Leaving WWE?
Simone Johnson announced her WWE departure on January 30, 2026, after her final NXT appearance three days earlier. She chose not to renew her contract after joining WWE in 2020 and later transitioning from an in-ring role into a backstage and authority position.
Her most prominent WWE role came in January 2024, when William Regal returned to NXT to announce Johnson as the brand’s new General Manager. She remained in the position until her departure, with WWE featuring her in that role as recently as the January 13 episode of NXT.
The Rock’s daughter has since moved into a different part of the entertainment business. She now works as a junior executive at Seven Bucks Productions, the production company associated with her father and mother, Dany Garcia.
The move gives Johnson an opportunity to build a career away from the wrestling ring and WWE television. While her time as Ava is over for now, her latest comments suggest that leaving was less about closing the door on her WWE experience and more about opening one somewhere else.
