Who Is John Cena's Wife? All About Shay Shariatzadeh (2024)

John Cena is a married man.

According to a marriage certificate obtained by PEOPLE, the actor and former pro wrestler married Shay Shariatzadeh on Oct. 12, 2020, at an attorney's office in Tampa, Florida. The couple later hosted a second wedding celebration in Vancouver, Canada, in July 2022.

Shariatzadeh and Cena have been romantically linked since March 2019. They first met in Canada while the actor was filming Playing with Fire.

So, who is John Cena's other half? Here's everything to know about Shay Shariatzadeh and her relationship with the wrestling champion.

She was born in Iran

The couple's marriage certificate showed Shariatzadeh resides in Vancouver but was born in Iran.

She's an engineer

Shariatzadeh worked in Canada as a product manager at Sonatype, an enterprise software company, a job she started in December 2019.

Before that, she worked at Motorola Solutions and researched thermal cameras and video intercom systems, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Shariatzadeh studied at the University of British Columbia from 2008 to 2013, earning a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering.

Her interest in the career stemmed from her younger years when a project her brother brought home from engineering school piqued her interest.

"I have always enjoyed math and physics," she told Motorola Solution's subsidiary Avigilon in March 2019. "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!"

In addition to engineering, Shariatzadeh has previously worked as a sales associate at Guess and La Vie En Rose, per her LinkedIn.

She's inspired by her mother

Her brother is not the only family member whom Shariatzadeh considers to be influential. Her mother, who works as a surgeon, has positively impacted Shariatzadeh.

"The strongest and most hard-working woman I know is my mother," she said in Avigilon's International Women's Day feature. "The biggest lesson she taught me was to be independent and fight for the things I want in life."

Shariatzadeh added, "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."

She's not active on social media

Shariatzadeh keeps a relatively low profile and is not active on social media, which aligns with how private the couple is.

"He is a romantic," a source speaking about Cena told PEOPLE shortly after the couple married, adding that the "...[private ceremony] wasn't a surprise. He just wanted to do it out of the limelight."

She met Cena at a restaurant

Cena first noticed Shariatzadeh when she was out for dinner with friends at a restaurant in Vancouver.

In a February 2024 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Cena opened up more about the night they met, sharing that he was there to watch the Super Bowl when one of her friends approached his group and asked him for a photo.

"So I got a picture with her, and then she brought by my wife-to-be over, we have our first fan photo, which we hang proudly where we hang our hats. It's awesome," he said. "I asked her for her number and she gave me her number, and I didn't wait like the two days [to reach out]. I left the restaurant and on my walk home I [texted], 'It was so nice to meet you, you're beautiful, I'd like to get to know you more if you have any free time coming up I'll make time for you.' She's like, 'You want to go out this weekend?' I said, 'Sure.' "

She and Cena made their red carpet debut in 2019

The couple attended their first red carpet together in October 2019 for the premiere of Cena's film Playing with Fire, which he was filming when he met Shariatzadeh.

The actor looked dapper in a navy blue suit with a white button-down and red tie, while Shariatzadeh dazzled in a silver and black sequined dress.

"It's a wonderful day for a movie premiere, and I got a beautiful date," Cena told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet. "What's truly special about this one is that, no matter what projects I'm involved in the future, this one will always have a special meaning because I got to film a special project and meet someone special."

She's the first woman Cena was linked to since Nikki Bella

Cena and ex-fiancée Nikki Bella called off their engagement in April 2018, just weeks before their destination wedding.

"While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another," the pair said in a statement on Bella's Twitter. The couple was together for six years.

After the breakup, Bella moved on to date Dancing with the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev. Cena was not publicly linked to a romantic partner until he was spotted walking through Vancouver arm-in-arm with Shariatzadeh after a dinner date.

She is very supportive of Cena's career

Shariatzadeh is always by her husband's side on the big red carpets.

In January 2024, she accompanied Cena to the London premiere of his film Argylle. Shariatzadeh turned heads in a little black dress, while the actor looked handsome in a pinstripe suit.

Cena prioritizes her "safety and well-being"

In April 2024, during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast, Cena shared why he goes to great lengths to keep his location private.

"I travel with my wife. We go everywhere together. I certainly value her safety and well-being," he said. "One of the promises I made to her on the altar was, 'I will never put you or I'll do my best to not put you in undue harm's way.' "