Carlee Bright from NXT was among those cut last Friday, but her name was not on the list that was publicly reported.
Bright noted on social media that even though she will appear on season three of WWE LFG on Sunday night, what you won’t see is that just two days ago her time with the company came to an end.
Tonight, you’ll see me on Season 3 of WWE LFG.
What you won’t see…is that just two days ago, my time with WWE has officially come to an end.
This wasn’t how I imagined this chapter ending, but if there’s one thing this journey taught me, it’s how to fight through uncertainty and the moments that test who you really are.
I don’t know if there’ll ever be enough words to express the gratitude and love I have for this chapter. From all the hours filming, hair spray & makeup, long drives, and intense training days, I really did feel like my very own Hannah Montana — living the best of both worlds.
I cherish the laughs, the memories, and the people who made this experience better than I could have ever imagined. You’ve changed my life, and that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.
Lastly, to sweet, baby Kenny — you did it. You made it farther than you ever thought you would. You lived out your childhood dream, and that makes me truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Wrestling has such a funny way of saying, “I love you.”
If there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s this: mom & dad didn’t raise a quitter.
This chapter may be closing, but my story is far from finished. xoxo”
Bright, who’s real name is Kennedy Cummins, signed with WWE in 2022. She had brief appearances on NXT starting in 2024 and then was moved to EVOLVE and had been a regular on the brand before she was released.
According to Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline, there could be more talents that were cut, but went unreported. “Carlee Bright released, and there may be more as we were under the impression more NXT names were on the chopping block,” he wrote.
Fightful Select has published a report with some additional details surrounding the releases from last Friday.
-Per sources within WWE, there was said to be internal talk that TKO leadership had input on the overall direction for the releases, with final decisions done through Paul Levesque, Nick Khan and the talent relations department
-A number of the releases were reportedly tied to roster reshuffling and making room for incoming talent and ongoing talks about SmackDown moving back to a two-hour show.
-Several of the NXT releases were also made as part of the overall roster changes, as WWE is expected to announced new development signings in the near future.
-Some of the main roster talents released are under standard 90-day non-compete clauses, while NXT talent generally are free agents after 30-days. It was also noted that in the cases which contracts simply expire, there would be no additional non-compete clause that goes beyond the agreed upon date.