Cody Rhodes has shared a wild story about the circumstances surrounding the birth of his second daughter, revealing that he learned the news while in the middle of filming a fight scene for the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
Brandi Rhodes announced the birth of Leilani Ella Runnels on August 29, 2025, a moment that caught much of the wrestling world by surprise since Cody and Brandi had largely kept the pregnancy private.
Speaking with Fandango alongside the Street Fighter cast to promote the film, Cody Rhodes recalled that he was in the midst of shooting a scene in which his character was defeated by Bison’s crew when he found out he had become a father again. According to Rhodes, he was lying on the ground in a pile of bodies as part of the take when he checked his phone and discovered the news, learning of his daughter’s birth in one of the more chaotic settings imaginable.
Rhodes did not detail exactly how production handled the moment once he received the news, and the supplied accounts do not indicate whether filming paused or how quickly he was able to reach Brandi Rhodes or his family afterward.
The story adds an unusual footnote to what was already a surprise announcement back in August 2025, when Brandi Rhodes revealed the birth publicly without any prior indication to fans that she was expecting again.
