Steve Carrier on October 18, 2025
Ilja Dragunov’s huge SmackDown comeback on October 17th put the WWE United States Championship around his waist, but the bigger shock came outside the ring when rumors about his personal life caught fire online.
After Dragunov was linked to Jin Tala following her heartfelt social media post, speculation quickly turned into ugly cheating accusations. Now, Tala herself has stepped in to clear the air.
It all started when Tala praised Dragunov on Twitter after his return, sharing that she supported his decision to stay silent during recovery and calling his comeback moment “worth it.” That single message sent fans digging into Dragunov’s social media, where they noticed he had wiped all photos of his wife, including their December 2021 wedding post.
By October 18th, the speculation reached another level when one fan accused Dragunov of infidelity, tweeting: “This is your hero, @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR, who cheated on his wife with @leighlaurel and got the US Title for it #SmackDown.”
Tala wasted no time responding directly to the accusation, setting the record straight once and for all.
“His ex-wife and I are on amicable terms. They have a healthy coparenting relationship. They are divorced. I won’t stand for defamation so cut out your factitious assumptions.”
Her response made it clear that Dragunov and his ex-wife are no longer together, that they maintain a positive relationship for their family, and that the cheating rumors are baseless. At the end of the day, Jin Tala’s clapback put a firm stop to the online drama, reminding fans that not every rumor deserves to be treated as fact.
Do you think Jin Tala’s response put an end to the Ilja Dragunov rumors, or will fans keep pushing for answers about their relationship? Share your thoughts in the comments.
October 18, 2025 3:06 pm
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