Brandi Rhodes Shuts Down Critics and Backstage Politics Over Her ‘Doing Nothing’ in AEW

Brandi Rhodes isn’t staying silent anymore. In an emotional moment during the second season of Cody Rhodes’ What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Brandi opened up about the real work she did in AEW — and why fans and even peers never gave her the credit she believes she deserved.

The episode, which featured Brandi as the special guest, took a personal turn in its final third as Cody grew emotional speaking about his wife’s backstage contributions to AEW. Cody mentioned how she was instrumental in helping shape the company’s infrastructure and served as a quiet support system for many wrestlers during some of their most difficult moments. Cody pointed out that many of the same fans who now embrace those wrestlers were unaware — or chose to ignore — Brandi’s role in supporting them.

That moment led Brandi to break her silence on how her wrestling legacy has been judged, how she consciously stayed away from backstage politics, and why she’s okay with never having power brokers in her corner. What followed was one of the most direct and unfiltered responses she’s ever given regarding her time in the business.

She began by explaining how surface-level judgment often replaces real understanding of what goes on behind the scenes:

“You have to know when you step into certain roles—and you really don’t know until you’re in it, and then you know. There’s always somebody that you have to look to and say, ‘Well, what did they ever do?’ Or when something makes you upset, ‘What did that person ever do?’ And what is that person standing there looking like an idiot for? You’re never gonna get deep down into what they actually did. You’re only gonna see maybe the surface, the very surface of what they did.”

Brandi made it clear that her contributions were deliberate and made according to her own ethical compass — not for applause or positioning.

“And I contributed in ways that I felt were the right ways for me to contribute. And then in the ways that I did not feel were right for me to contribute, I just didn’t. I’m not saying that it’s wrong or right the ways that people choose to [contribute], but some people choose to get in with people. They choose to get in with people because they want that person’s voice going forward—or they hope they have that person’s voice going forward. I didn’t want that. I wanted to do what I knew was right. And if you weren’t a right person, I didn’t want anything to do with you.”

She didn’t mince words about how that choice affected her backstage reputation. Rather than align with influential insiders, Brandi stuck to her principles — even knowing it meant she’d have no one pushing her forward.

“So yeah, I did not have those voices behind me moving forward. But I don’t want them. I don’t need them. I don’t want them. I don’t need those people, and we don’t need to get anywhere near it. But I don’t need approval from somebody I don’t approve of myself. Ever.”

The remarks served as a direct rebuttal to the criticism she’s received for years — accusations that she “did nothing” in AEW or was only in her position because of Cody Rhodes. Brandi didn’t just refute that narrative; she obliterated it, making it clear that she chose integrity over influence — and she has no regrets about it.

Brandi Rhodes may have stepped away from the spotlight, but this moment served as a firm reminder that she played a serious role in AEW’s early years — whether anyone gave her credit or not.

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