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Career and work
Mendez rose to prominence in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. After appearing on the third season of WWE NXT, she debuted on SmackDown in 2011 and went on to win the WWE Divas Championship three times, including a 295-day first reign. She retired from wrestling in 2015 before returning to WWE in 2025. [2]
Mendez published her memoir, Crazy Is My Superpower, in 2017; it became a New York Times bestseller. She has also written comics, including co-writing Dungeons & Dragons: At the Spine of the World with Aimee Garcia. [3][4]
What has been publicly discussed
Sources and other resourcesExpand to view the sources used in this profile and resources to learn more.
Sources used for this profile
The following sources contain information that supports the claims made on this page.
Bustle“What It’s Like To Go Through A Depressive Episode When You Have Bipolar Disorder” First-person essay describing Mendez’s bipolar II disorder diagnosis, depressive episodes and “survival mode.”
WWE“AJ Lee” Official WWE biography covering her wrestling career and championship history.
Penguin Random HouseCrazy Is My Superpower Publisher page documenting Mendez’s memoir and its bestseller status.
View all 10 sources
IDW PublishingDungeons & Dragons: At the Spine of the World Publisher page crediting Mendez and Aimee Garcia as writers.
StarTalk“Wrestling with Mental Health, with AJ Mendez” Interview covering her diagnosis, medication, exercise and approach to managing bipolar disorder.
FOX Sports“AJ Mendez Brooks opens up on her suicide attempt and helping others with mental illness” Covers her suicide attempt and mental-health treatment.
State of Mind with Maurice Benard“AJ Mendez / AJ Lee on WWE, Bipolar Disorder, and Making Peace With ‘Jean’” 2026 interview about bipolar disorder, anxiety and the tools she developed before returning to wrestling.
NAMI“Ambassadors & Supporters” NAMI’s official listing identifying Mendez as an ambassador.
NAMI“Discovering My Superpower” Mendez discusses bipolar disorder, stigma and mental health in Latino families.
ESPN“AJ Mendez Brooks writes about turning perceived flaws into strengths” Interview about her memoir, wrestling career and perspective on bipolar disorder.
Learn more
Recommended books and other resources about AJ Mendez and their experiences.