Pro wrestler Mercedes Moné has filed for divorce from husband Sarath Ton after eight years of marriage.
In an exclusive statement to Us Weekly, the All Elite Wrestling star, 32, said, “I usually don’t comment on my personal life, but it is true that Sarath and I have decided to divorce. It has been in the process for a while and we plan to stay good friends.”
The filing was made by Moné (real name Justine Mercedes Verano) on Tuesday, July 30, according to divorce documents obtained by Us. She dives deeper into the details of her divorce during the new episode of her “Moné Talks” podcast, available here.
Moné is the current AEW TBS Champion and previously competed in WWE as Sasha Banks. She’s been notoriously private about her relationship with Ton, a costume designer for WWE, who goes by the name Mikaze.
The couple got married during a small ceremony in August 2016, but Moné did not publicly acknowledge the news until March of the following year.
“You’re the first one I’ve admitted it to. I am married,” Moné told former WWE ring announcer Lillian Garcia on her “Making Their Way to the Ring” podcast. “I just hide it because our fans are so crazy sometimes, you know?”
She continued, “I see what they write to him on Twitter, and I don’t like that stuff. If you’re saying he’s ugly, or he shouldn’t be with me because of this or that, that hurts me, you know?
In August 2019, Ton celebrated the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary by sharing a picture of the pair from their big day via Instagram.
“9 years ago I met the girl of my dreams,” he wrote. “8 years ago I asked her to be my girlfriend. 7 years ago I asked her to marry me. 3 years ago she made me the happiest man in the world. Today she continues to inspire me to be a better man and human.”
The post concluded, “When I said ‘I do,’ it was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. Happy anniversary my love. To many more years with you.”
One year after signing with WWE in 2021, Moné made the decision to leave the company. She made her AEW debut in March, which she discussed exclusively with Us earlier this year.
“I’m having the best time of my life and career,” she said. “There’s this new freedom. I’m discovering a whole new side of me. I’m not Sasha Banks anymore.”
Moné insisted she was eager to leave WWE in the past, suggesting that any tension between AEW and her former employer is the stuff of social media chatter.
“I feel like there should be no competition when it’s between companies,” Moné suggested. “It just needs to be competition between the wrestlers, seeing who wants to be the main event of the show, to make the most money. I’m competing with everybody here in AEW to let them know I’m the face of the company. I’m not competing with any other company.”