Taya Valkyrie Exits AEW After Turning Down New Contract

Taya Valkyrie has announced her departure from All Elite Wrestling, revealing that she turned down a new contract from the promotion.

"I am incredibly grateful for my time with AEW and the opportunity to be part of the organization. While there, I wrestled and worked alongside exceptional talent, and built lasting relationships within the AEW family and deepend my relationships in the wrestling community. I am beyond thankful to the fans for their continued support of me, not only in my time with AEW but also as step into this new chapter as a free agent. I can't wait for what's to come and have a lot more to leave in the ring. With my contract now concluded, I'm excited to explore new opportunities and possibilities as a wrestler, TV personality, and creative," Valkyrie wrote on X/Twitter.

Valkyrie noted to People that she is looking to focus on a career in entertainment, having released her debut EP, "Fake", and launched the "I Don't Like That" pop culture podcast with Bobby Blueberry.

"I’ve always loved every aspect of entertainment since I was a kid. Wrestling is such a huge part of me. And it’s helped me get to where I am. But my whole life has been me taking a risk and me kind of betting on myself. And I felt like this is the perfect time to do that," Valkyrie said.

Taya Valkyrie had been a part of All Elite Wrestling since March 2023, debuting with a TBS Title programme opposite Jade Cargill. Valkyrie saw her usage dwindle from the summer of 2024, however, and she had only wrestled 11 matches across AEW Collision, Rampage, and Dynamite since August 2024. Valkyrie had not wrestled for the promotion at all since a squash match loss to Tay Melo in November 2025.

Valkyrie was utilised more in Ring of Honor as part of The Vendetta with Deonna Purrazzo and then in MxM TV with real-life husband Johnny TV and MxM Collection but she had not wrestled for ROH since January 2026. Valkyrie and the former John Morrison also starred in two seasons of "Johnny Loves Taya", a romantic comedy that aired on AEW's YouTube channel.

Outside of AEW, Taya Valkyrie had multiple stints with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide from 2012 to 2023, which included four reigns as AAA Reina de Reinas Champion. Valkyrie also had two runs with TNA Wrestling, including a 377-day reign as TNA Knockouts World Champion and two runs with the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships between 2017 and 2023. Those TNA runs took place either side of a short stint on WWE NXT as Franky Monet from February to November 2021.