How Cody Rhodes & Brandi Rhodes Met & Fell In Love, Explained
Mia Lopez
Published Mar 28, 2026
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The wrestling world has always been prevalent in having power couples. Among them, Cody Rhodes and his wife, Brandi Rhodes are close to the top of the list. The duo has been together through thick and thin through their strong bond of love and the passion for the sport that paved the way for them toward each other.
The American Nightmare and his wife came back to WWE last year at WrestleMania. The couple returned to the very same place that laid the foundation of their bond. While Cody Rhodes has been taking care of business inside the squared circle, his wife Brandi has been busy raising their daughter while also doing a handful of public appearances.
Cody and Brandi Rhodes have faced every obstacle in their path together and continue to be each other's pillars of strength. The coming together of this beautiful couple has been an exciting tale of love, passion, and strange environments.
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Cody Rhodes And Brandi Rhodes Met During Their Time In WWE
Long before he reigned atop of the wrestling world as The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes was an upcoming prospect in WWE, having undergone some gimmick changes during the early 2010s. It was around that time that he met Brandi, who was working with the company as a ring announcer under the name 'Eden Stiles.'
During an interview back in 2017 with WrestlingInc, Brandi revealed that Cody was not initially into her, but then found herself surrounded by the former WWE Intercontinental Champion almost every day. After being apprehensive for a while, Brandi finally decided to give Dusty Rhodes' son a chance to go out on a date with her.
"I had been there for a minute, and Cody hadn’t really shown much interest in me at all, and then all of a sudden, he became extremely fascinated with me. He would just surround himself around me all the time. Finally, he started asking me to come to hang out with him and I said no many times because it’s a work environment. It probably took around a month for me to go out with him, and after that, the rest is as they say history because I feel that we ended up spending every day together after that."
Cody Rhodes and Brandi went to a Waffle House on their first date. The outing eventually proved to be the start of love and romance between the exceptionally talented WWE Superstar and a highly energetic ring announcer. This was followed by their second date, going for dinner at the Cracker Barrel.
A Spooky Date Night Was When Brandi Knew That Cody Rhodes Was Her Dream Man
The bond of love usually blossoms in romantic settings and beautiful ambiances. However, Brandi Rhodes' story was completely opposite and bizarre, something that runs well in Cody's family. The American Nightmare asked out Brandi on a date to Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios.
Unknown to Cody, Brandi Rhodes was a fan of horror. She always desired to go to Halloween Horror Night but did not find any companion to come along with her. During an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2016, Brandi revealed that it was exactly at that moment that she knew Cody Rhodes was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.
“Cody and I had a connection pretty quickly. We were engaged pretty quickly, but my moment where I knew this was definitely the person for me was when Cody asked me on a date to Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios. I had wanted to go to Halloween Horror Night for years, but no one was ever interested. That was our second or third date, and that’s the moment I realized that that was the best thing to happen in a while,” Brandi continued. “We made a weekend of it, had the best time ever, and now we go back every year. It’s kind of our place. I think it was pretty mutual that that was our place.”
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Cody Rhodes Also Realized His Love For Brandi In An Odd Place
While it took a dark and spooky setting for Brandi to realize her love for Cody Rhodes, The American Nightmare also had a rather similar experience in knowing that she was his one true love. Rhodes realized his love for Brandi at the Air Canada Centre parking lot. Speaking on his panel with Excalibur and The Young Bucks at C2E2 in 2020, Cody revealed that Brandi knew he was into her as he gave her a hug in the parking lot, and she whispered in his ear, believing it in his heart right there that Brandi was the one.
“I fell in love with my wife in the Air Canada Centre parking lot. You wanna know why? She got the indication I was into her and she decided she was going to shoot her shot and I gave Aksana like the half-hug as we were leaving. We were in the parking lot. And then I gave Brandi a hug and she blew in my ear. And I knew, I knew. I was like ‘that’s it!’ (high fives Nick Jackson). Didn’t happen for like months later but I knew in my heart.”
Cody and Brandi Rhodes announced their engagement in November 2012 and tied the knot one year later in September 2013. The couple was blessed with their daughter, Liberty Runnels, in 2021. The couple began this beautiful and strange road of love nearly eleven years ago together and are busy with the new chapter of their life, embracing parenthood and their resurgence back to WWE.
