John Cena and Wife Shay Shariatzadeh: A Timeline of Their Relationship

John Cena and wife Shay Shariatzadeh’s low-profile relationship made their October 2020 wedding all the more surprising.

The pair were initially linked in March 2019 when they were spotted holding hands after a dinner date in Canada. The relationship marked the first time Cena had been spotted on a date since his engagement to Nikki Garcia ended for good in July 2018.

Following a handful of red carpet appearances, the couple sparked engagement rumors in February 2020 after Shariatzadeh was seen wearing a ring on her left hand during a trip to an amusement park in San Diego. Us Weekly confirmed that the twosome secretly tied the knot in Florida that October.

Cena’s friends have been vocally supportive of the couple’s relationship. “[John and Shay] look incredible together,” Seth Rollins exclusively told Us in January 2020. “I have not seen him this happy in a long time. So that’s really cool.”

Scroll down to revisit Cena and Shariatzadeh’s relationship timeline:

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March 2019

Less than a year after his split from Garcia, Cena was spotted on a dinner date with Shariatzadeh in Canada. They held hands during the outing and were seen kissing at the San Diego airport the following month.

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July 2019

The couple attended a WWE Raw taping and went out to dinner in Tampa, Florida. A source revealed at the time that Cena was “really into Shay and excited about their new relationship” because she is “really smart and easygoing [and] great for him.”

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October 2019

The pro wrestler and Shariatzadeh made their red carpet debut together at the premiere of Playing With Fire. They held onto each other and giggled in sweet shots from the event.

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November 2019

Cena shut down speculation that the project manager resembles Bella. “Thank you so much for asking that question, but I’ll keep that as your question and keep those details to myself,” he said during a November 2019 appearance on the Today show. 

The Bumblebee star, who noted he was “extremely happy,” pointed out that it was “OK to establish boundaries” after his public relationship with Bella. “Just because I went down one avenue in life doesn’t mean I’m going to repeat going down that avenue,” he said.

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January 2020

Cena and Shariatzadeh once again showed PDA at the premiere of his film Doolittle. They beamed as they kissed for the cameras.

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February 2020

Shariatzadeh was spotted wearing a large ring, which sparked engagement rumors, but the duo never confirmed whether they were betrothed. “I noticed a huge ring on her left hand ring finger,” an eyewitness who saw the pair in San Diego told Us in February 2020. “It looked pretty big.”

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October 2020

Us confirmed that Cena and Shariatzadeh secretly married in Tampa on October 12, 2020. “Love involves constant effort,” he tweeted days before the nuptials. “When you are truly ready to let love in and give to love all it needs to flourish, I feel there is no greater more rewarding connection.”

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July 2022

The twosome held a second wedding ceremony on July 15 after Shariatzadeh was spotted wearing a wedding dress in Vancouver, according to photos obtained by TMZ.

“John and Shay didn’t have a proper ceremony the first time out, it was a deliberately private affair because they wanted to do it with the minimum of attention of fuss,” a source told Us one month later. “This time was different though, they booked out a beautiful place and made it a very special occasion. … They’re just so in love and grateful to have found each other.”

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August 2022

Cena and Shariatzadeh are considering expanding their family after nearly two years of marriage. 

“He said for so long that he didn’t want kids but now he’s warming to the idea more and more,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly about the former wrestler. “They’ll go with the flow but it’s different with Shay, he feels wiser and more ready for the responsibility. It’s something they’d both love, for sure.”

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May 2023

The WWE champion and the Canada native were spotted strolling hand in hand through London.

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May 2023

The twosome shared a sweet smooch while walking the red carpet at the Fast X premiere in Rome, Italy. 

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January 2024

Cena and Shariatzadeh showed off their love at the London premiere of Cena’s film Argylle by hugging and kissing for photographers on the red carpet. The duo each sported all-black ensembles, with Cena donning a pinstriped suit and Shariatzadeh rocking a mini dress with floral details.