After eight years with the company, in March 2004, Runnels was released from WWE prior to a massive firing spree.[1][2] In an April 2015 interview with Vince Russo, Runnels stated that she was flown up on April 1, 2004 to the WWE offices for a meeting with WWE executives Kevin Dunn and John Laurinaitis where she was told that they were parting ways with her; the reason she was told that she was flown up was because the WWE respected her.[31] After leaving the company, Runnels spent time traveling the world.[3]