By Mark Gray
7:00pm PST, Dec 19, 2023
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Former WWE wrestler and reality TV star CJ Perry was hospitalized for several days in December after a serious infection in her finger started moving up her arm.
CJ — who worked in WWE for eight years under the name Lana — posted about her ailments on Instagram. Her husband, former WWE champion Miroslav "Rusev" Barnyashev, also documented his wife's hospital stay.
Click through to read more about CJ's recovery and learn why she might look familiar to non-wrestling fans too.
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It's not known how CJ Perry's infection occurred or when it began causing issues.
Over the weekend of Dec. 16, she opened up about her health on her Instagram Story.
"Please keep me in your prayers I'm at the ER," she wrote. "The infection from my small finger has gone up my arm."
On Dec. 18, CJ — who now works for All Elite Wrestling — said things had gotten worse.
"I have been in the ER and hospital for over 50 hours. The infection has gotten worse and I'm going into surgery tonight. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I love you all," she wrote.
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CJ Perry's husband, All Elite Wresting's Miroslav Barnyashev, shared images of his wife in the emergency room before and after surgery in December 2023.
"Going in for surgery," he first wrote alongside a snap of her sitting up in a hospital bed. After surgery, Miroslav (who wrestles in AEW under the name Miro) shared another image of his wife surrounded by pizza, cookies and Mexican food. "Out of surgery," he wrote, adding, "Time to eat."
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CJ Perry and Miroslav Barnyashev married in the summer 2016 after meeting in WWE. Prior to her careers at WWE and AEW, CJ was a model, singer and aspiring actress. She appeared in "Pitch Perfect" and "Pitch Perfect 2." She also performed in a girl group called No Means Yes, which was signed by Ne-Yo but disbanded after a year together.
After her wrestling career took off, she became a main cast member on season six of E!'s "Total Divas."
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Football fans might know CJ Perry from her college years.
While attending Florida State University, she and her friends often went to football games dressed as cowgirls. During a game against the Miami Hurricanes, ABC cameras panned to CJ and her friends (including model Jenn Sterger). With the screen filled by the cowgirl attire-clad women, ABC commentator Brent Musburger famously said, "1,500 red-blooded Americans just decided to apply to Florida State."
His comments went viral.
