AJ Lee

“I want people to know where I come from. I think I have come really far from that, and I did it on my own. It's sort of the American dream to come from absolutely nothing and to succeed while still doing something that you love. Not compromising yourself in any way. I hope I'm making Jersey proud in that way.”

“For me, Jersey represents going through what you can go through and still surviving. That's the cool thing about people from the Tri-State area. We're fighters. We're survivors, and we're edgier than anyone else on Earth.”

“Never trust anyone who doesn't drink coffee.”

“I lift pretty heavy for my body weight, and I don't do any of that girly stuff like cardio or any light weights. I go really heavy, and that intimidates some guys. I enjoy that.”

“When I was diagnosed, I believed my illness would be my great, lifelong weakness. Bipolar disorder was to be my impenetrable prison, and I would be locked up with it in a castle Princess Toadstool style. Thinking there was no way out, I let it consume me.”

“I could be anywhere in the country, and people will ask, 'Are you from Jersey?' I'm proud of that. We're a weird breed.”

“Side note: When I dressed up like Harley Quinn on TV a long time ago, everyone was like, 'Who is that?' And now she's got an entire merchandise line.”

“From a young age, I felt like I was supposed to be the sort of female who is doing something strong.”

“I was thin and didn't realize how small I was - I was, like, 96 pounds when I got signed. You don't want to be 96 pounds. It's not attractive. I didn't know how to do my hair and makeup. I was such a tomboy.”

“When I harnessed its seemingly uncontrollable might, I realized bipolar disorder's powers could be used for good. My diagnosis didn't have to be an affliction. It could simply be the gift of extraordinary emotions.”

“Everything I was told should be my greatest insecurities and weaknesses, everything that I've been labeled - short, nerdy, skinny, weak, impulsive, ugly, tomboy, poor, rebel, loud, freak, crazy - turned out to be my greatest strengths. I didn't become successful in spite of them. I became successful because of them.”

“I'm not interested in being famous. I'm interested in doing my job and doing it well, and that's wrestling, and that's what I love.”

“I used to be naive. I didn't realize the value of being a whole performer... People start to care about you when they know more about you and see different aspects of your personality.”

“It wasn't cool that I didn't comb my hair and had books and wore glasses. It was never cool be a nerd and tomboy, and these days, it really is. And I'm like, 'You guys have no idea what I went through.' How many times my mother yelled at me to comb my hair.”

“It's the most gratifying thing to have young girls telling me, 'I love that you do a photo shoot in pants and a button up shirt, and you still look cool.'”

“I think trying to be flashy and doing things that are out of your realm of comfort is the problem with the Divas.”

“Know what is in your heart. But definitely go to school and learn as much as you can, and if wrestling is still what you want, find a good wrestling school and kind of learn as much information about it as you can. If I did it, this tiny thing, anyone can do it.”

“There's definitely a list of things I'd like to do. But there's been a lot of things I hadn't even thought would have been possible to do that I'd been able to do, so I think I'll surprise myself and keep breaking that glass ceiling to see what's next. Hopefully people get surprised - that's my main goal.”

“When I was really little, I wanted to be a wrestler so I could be like the girls I looked up to. My brother then told me that 'You don't want to be like your idols; you want to grow up and be better than them.' To this day, that's the best piece of advice I've ever gotten.”

“I want to be known for this character on TV two nights a week, and then I want to go away and live my life in private.”