Cena's 2012 divorce from former high-school sweetheart Elizabeth Huberdeau almost got ugly real fast. By all accounts, Cena blindsided his wife by filing for divorce without so much as a conversation about it. The Doctor of Thugonomics cited irreparable difficulties in his court papers despite being married less than three years, and Huberdeau quickly tried to contest the prenuptial agreement she had signed. Within hours of this story hitting news outlets like ESPN and TMZ, rumors began to swirl around his alleged financial recklessness and marital infidelities. Former WWE Superstar Kenny Dykstra added fire to the powder keg by claiming to have knowledge of Cena's affair with then-WWE Diva Mickie James. According to Dykstra, Cena and James struck up a romance well known to everyone in the WWE locker room before, during, and after Cena's marriage to Huberdeau. Through her lawyer, Huberdeau also hinted at knowledge of many other affairs Cena had during their decade long relationship. According to TMZ in July 2012, Huberdeau vowed to follow-up on every lead regarding John's infidelity in the hopes of using it as evidence to nullify their prenuptial agreement. As quickly as the maelstrom of bad press for John Cena began, however, all matters were quickly resolved to everyone's mutual satisfaction. In other words, Huberdeau was paid to shut up. Most contested divorces take years to settle, and inevitably, there are some unsavory public accusations made by both sides. Cena's "messy" divorce took less than two months to settle, and the terms of the agreement were never made public. Coincidentally, the secret settlement happened to coincide with the buildup to Cena's 2012 title match vs. CM Punk and the Big Show at Summerslam. WWE brass could not afford to have a long and drawn-out divorce proceeding muddying the reputation of the company's top star, and clearly their influence was exerted in the courtroom.
