"We're Close": Rhea Ripley's Ex Breaks Silence on Current Relationship

Rhea Ripley has spent the past year alongside different allies and rivals on WWE television, but one of her most entertaining off-screen friendships has often played out away from the ring. For years, Cathy Kelley and Ripley built a running joke around their so-called "relationship," appearing together in TikTok videos that regularly pulled in huge numbers and became a familiar part of WWE's online content.

Things started looking a little different when Ripley's on-screen partnership with IYO SKY became a bigger part of WWE programming. As the Women's Champion and SKY continued working together, Kelley occasionally leaned into the joke by publicly pointing out the growing distance between herself and Mami. Now, Kelley has shared where things actually stand between them.

Cathy Kelley says her friendship with Rhea Ripley remains strong

During a recent appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Kelley was asked about her connection with Ripley and whether anything had changed between them.

The RAW interviewer shut down any idea that the friendship had faded. According to Kelley, she and Ripley are still close despite spending most of their time on different WWE brands. While Ripley appears regularly on SmackDown, Kelley continues her backstage duties on RAW.

Kelley did admit that Ripley has recently grown closer to IYO SKY after the pair spent more than six months working together as a team. "We're close, but I feel like she's been closer recently to IYO SKY," Kelley said.

The friendship joke even led to playful shots at IYO SKY

Before Kelley addressed the topic in the interview, the situation had already become part of WWE's online humour.

As Ripley and SKY spent more time together, Kelley frequently referenced the shift on social media. She jokingly blamed The Genius of the Sky for creating distance between her and Ripley and even leaned into the storyline through her own content.

One of those moments included a humorous reel involving SKY herself, showing that the running gag had become bigger than just Kelley and Ripley. Rather than presenting a real conflict, it turned into an ongoing joke that WWE fans followed across multiple platforms.

Ripley recently reflected on a memorable family moment from her wrestling career

Away from the discussion about Kelley and SKY, Ripley recently shared a personal story involving her family.

Speaking on What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon, the Women's Champion recalled taking a chair shot to the head earlier in her career. Her grandmother was in attendance that day and was not happy with what she saw.

According to Ripley, her nonna became so upset that she wanted to get involved herself and confront the opponent responsible for the shot. Fortunately, the situation never escalated beyond that.

Ripley's family remains an important part of her journey. Earlier this month, she dedicated her Clash in Italy victory over Jade Cargill to her grandparents. Since then, she has appeared on SmackDown while continuing to rehab a knee issue that has kept her from competing inside the ring.