John Cena has been vocal about his decision not to have kids over the years, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a forever woman. The WWE fighter-turned-actor is married to wife Shay Shariatzadeh, and the pair like to keep their relationship private and sacred.

“We have core values which we both believe in, and one of those is keeping our information to us and those extremely close to our inner circle,” the Jackpot! actor said during a May 2023 appearance on Hoda and Jenna. “I couldn’t be happier, but I think a way for us to keep our intimacy is by keeping it intimate.”

What Is Shay’s Job?

Not only did she earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, but she also secured a job in Vancouver. Shay is a product manager at Avigilon, a Motorola Solutions Company.

“I interviewed multiple Product Managers to figure out how they got into their role, and I followed their path,” she revealed in her bio featured on their website.

Shay worked in the Vancouver area for over 10 years and has tried her hand at different jobs before diving into the engineering world. She was previously employed as a sales associate for Guess and La Vie En Rose, according to her LinkedIn page.

Shay Shariatzadeh’s Family

Shay doesn’t miss a moment to share her favorite moments with her family.

“The strongest and most hard-working woman I know is my mother,” Shay said about the person who inspired her most in a past interview. “The biggest lesson she taught me was to be independent and fight for the things I want in life. She is a surgeon who worked day and night so we could have a good life. While she was at the peak of her career, she gave it all up to move her family to Canada to give us a better future. She is the reason I fight to be the best version of myself, to be kind and to never give up.”

In 2015, Shay credited her engineering career to her brother during an interview with Avigilon. “I have always enjoyed math and physics,” she told the outlet at the time. “My brother studied engineering in school, and I remember one day he came home with a project and it was an autonomous car — and that was it! I decided to study Engineering.”

When Did John Cena and Wife Shay Start Dating?

The Blockers actor started dating the product manager about eight months after his highly publicized split from longtime girlfriend-turned-fiancée Nikki Garcia (formerly known as Nikki Bella) in April 2018. The source noted at the time that John’s relationship with Shay was “much easier” than it was with his ex.

“In John’s eyes, Shay is the whole package,” the source gushed about their strong bond. “She’s beautiful, intelligent, kind, independent and family-orientated and there’s rarely any drama between them.”

The Canadian babe brings out the Bumblebee actor’s “softer side,” an insider exclusively gushed to Life & Style in May 2020. “Shay isn’t after his money … She’s not that kind of girl and loves him for who he is.” The feeling is mutual because John “spoils her with romantic gifts.”

Their romance started when John approached her in a Vancouver restaurant while the actor was in town for two months filming Playing With Fire. “There was one woman I was looking at, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her … That’s when it started,” the Massachusetts native told Entertainment Tonight about when he first saw his now-wife in 2019. A few months later, they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of the same film that brought them together.

By January 2020, the pair seemed like a solid couple at the Dolittle premiere. “John and Shay arrived hand in hand to [the] carpet and walked into [the] carpet holding hands,” a separate insider told Life & Style at the time. “He whispered a few things in her ear to reassure her on [the] carpet, a few gentle kisses on [the] lips. Very sweet. She seemed totally comfortable and happy to be by his side.”

When Did Shay Shariatzadeh and John Cena Get Married?

Engagement rumors began swirling about John and Shay when she was spotted wearing a diamond ring on ~that~ finger in February 2020. The wrestler fueled speculation on February 13 by sharing a photo of a man holding up a purple candy heart that read, “Say Yes,” via Instagram. Text over the image read, “Stone Cold Sweethearts,” though the Instagram photo itself didn’t have a caption or further explanation.

John and Shay quietly tied the knot on October 12, 2020, at a courthouse in Tampa, Florida. They celebrated their nuptials again in July 2022 in Vancouver, Canada.