4 things you didn't know about Lana
Lana is one of WWE's most recognisable Superstars. Having debuted in NXT in 2013, the Ravishing Russian made her way to the main roster, as Rusev's manager. Together the two have teamed up to win three United States championships and achieve mainstream success as stars of the E! hit reality series Total Divas.
Lana has since become a WWE Superstar and has had marquee matches, even challenging for the SmackDown Women's Championship. She has also made history as part of the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble Match and the first ever all-female Evolution pay-per-view.
While Lana played a cold, vindictive, Russian heel in WWE that role was inspired by some real-life trauma that she experienced while growing up in Russia.
The truth is most wrestling fans don't know the real story behind Lana and C.J. Perry, the woman who portrays her, but a recent interview on Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia pulled back the veil on the woman wrestling fans know as Lana.
So, sit back, relax, and get ready to be surprised with 4 Things You Didn't Know About Lana.
#4. Lana Was Body Shamed In Her Early Years
As one may expect, life in Russia is vastly different than life in most other parts of the world. Lana moved to Russia at the age of 5 and fell in love with ballet, but instead of being encouraged for her newfound passion, Lana was belittled and made to feel less than.
Lana opened up to Lilian Garcia on a recent episode of the Chasing Glory podcast and revealed that despite the fact that she was only 5'4" and 90 pounds, she was repeatedly fat-shamed in Russia.
Lana's developing body became a major focus for her Russian ballet instructors, who chastised her for being what they considered overweight. Lana revealed,
"I've had shoes thrown at me, 'You stupid fat cow!' Literally, 'You're pathetic.' I remember one time, I always worked really hard, and my teacher was like, 'You're like a stupid donkey working hard going in circles. Yeah, the donkey's working hard and you're literally going in circles.' Screaming it!"
The endless shaming led to some significant medical troubles for Lana. Find out more with #3 on our list.