"We may steal a second in Dublin" — John Cena discusses plans for getaway with wife Shay amid his demanding schedule

John Cena recently walked the red carpet with his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, for Peacemaker Season 2, which is scheduled to premiere on August 21, 2025.

The 48-year-old WWE superstar and actor discusses that he is planning a getaway with his wife amid busy schedule in order to compensate for their lack of quality time together. He elaborated that he will sure to get to spend more time with his wife during his busy schedule with wrestling and acting. Speaking with PEOPLE about it, John Cena joked:

“We may steal a second in Dublin. I know I got a chance over there.”

John Cena, in an interview with People magazine, emphasized the little time he has spent with his wife, saying:

“We need a date night, honestly, like we really do. Work has been demanding, and through communication, we understand what the calendar is and we navigate those paths as we see fit.”

He added:

“[But] boy am I looking forward to after [the premiere] when I can have a date with my bride.”

During their red carpet appearance, John Cena was seen being affectionate, kissing Shay Shariatzadeh, and adjusting her hair.

---

John Cena plans to "steal" moments in Europe

John Cena is currently balancing acting and wrestling commitments. He is in his retirement run with WWE and is filming his upcoming Netflix feature, Little Brother, alongside Eric André. With part of the production taking place in Europe, he mentioned the possibility of a short trip with his wife. He further said:

“We may steal a second in Dublin. I know I got a chance over there. We're [also] headed to [France]. I'll make sure to get in early so at least we can share a coffee in the street.”

Cena and Shariatzadeh maintain a mostly private relationship despite occasional public appearances, which Cena says is intentional. On Armchair Expert, he said that before their wedding, he promised to protect her. He told Dax Shepard:

"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 any undue harm's way. So a lot of it is just about genuine safety. And it's not to say that everyone out there has bad intentions or we'd ever run into someone bad, but you also never know when someone feels threatened."

He elaborated:

"If my wife, who is my travel partner and partner in life, now feels unsafe or uncomfortable in all these new places we go, [I’ve] got another hurdle to climb in my personal life. It's just an exercise in the strength of boundaries and the value of boundaries."

---

Cena and Shay's love story

John Cena and Shay Shariatzadeh met in 2019 at a Vancouver restaurant while Cena was filming Playing with Fire. After a friend approached for a photo, Shariatzadeh joined, resulting in their first picture together, which is now displayed at their home.

Cena later said he contacted her soon after their meeting. Recalling the moment, 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]."

He recalled telling her:

"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.'

Cena married Shay in 2020 at an attorney’s office in Tampa, Florida, and they held a second wedding celebration in Vancouver, Canada, in June 2022. A source told People that it was:

“It was love at first sight”

The source added:

"He is a romantic. They knew they would marry, so the [private ceremony] wasn’t a surprise. He just wanted to do it out of the limelight.”

---

Shay's career beyond the spotlight

While Cena is wrestling and acting, Shay has had a successful career in technology. She is an engineer with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of British Columbia and has worked at Microsoft, Sonatype. She has also worked for Motorola Solutions, where she was responsible for security product development at Avigilon.

---

John Cena will soon be seen in Peacemaker 2, which premieres on August 21, 2025, on HBO Max.

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.