Pro wrestler Mercedes Moné has filed for divorce from her husband, Sarath Ton, after eight years of marriage.
In a statement to Us Weekly, Moné, 32, said, “I usually don’t comment on my personal life, but it is true that Sarath and I have decided to divorce. This has been a process we’ve been working through for a while, and we plan to remain good friends.”
The divorce filing was submitted by Moné (whose real name is Justine Mercedes Verano) on Tuesday, July 30, as confirmed by documents obtained by Us. Moné discusses the situation further in the latest episode of her “Moné Talks” podcast.
Currently the AEW TBS Champion, Moné previously competed in WWE as Sasha Banks. She has been private about her relationship with Ton, a WWE costume designer who goes by Mikaze. The couple had a small wedding in August 2016, but Moné didn’t publicly confirm the marriage until March 2017.
“I’m married, but I’ve kept it private because of how fans can be,” Moné told former WWE ring announcer Lillian Garcia on her “Making Their Way to the Ring” podcast. “I see the negative comments about him online, and it hurts me. I just want to protect him from that kind of scrutiny.”
In August 2019, Sarath Ton marked the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary with an Instagram post featuring a picture from their wedding day.
“9 years ago I met the girl of my dreams,” he wrote. “8 years ago I asked her to be my girlfriend. 7 years ago I proposed. 3 years ago she made me the happiest man in the world. Today she continues to inspire me to be a better man and human.”
The post concluded, “When I said ‘I do,’ it was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. Happy anniversary, my love. Here’s to many more years together.”
One year after joining WWE in 2021, Mercedes Moné decided to leave the company. She made her AEW debut in March 2023, a move she discussed exclusively with Us Weekly earlier this year.
“I’m having the best time of my life and career,” Moné said. “There’s this new freedom. I’m discovering a whole new side of myself. I’m not Sasha Banks anymore.”
Moné noted that while she had expressed a desire to leave WWE, any perceived rivalry between AEW and her former employer is largely driven by social media.
“I don’t think there should be competition between companies,” Moné explained. “It should be about the wrestlers competing to be the main event and to earn the most. In AEW, I’m focused on proving myself as a top performer, not on competing with other companies.”