WWE star Mia Yim, whose real name is Stephanie Hym Lee, was born in Los Angeles, California, to her African-American father and Korean mother, Sunhong Bell.
The professional wrestler, who currently goes by the ring name Michin, has a younger sister named Kris Yim. Her stage name Michin is a Korean word that means crazy.
Highlights
- The WWE official’s father formerly served in the military and later became an FBI special agent, working in units for gangs, missing and exploited children, and cyber operations.
- On the other hand, her mother worked as a hairstylist at “Salon Sielo,” located in Washington D.C., United States.
- The wrestler’s parents were against her combat sports career when she first began.
During her appearance on Inside The Ropes, The 35-year-old told the show’s host Alexander Stewart that she had accomplished all the things she ever dreamed of doing in wrestling.
When I first started wrestling, I wrote down everything that I wanted to do. Go travel internationally, do Japan, sign a major contract, go to the WWE. I like to do pretty much everything and I’ve done it all.
Stephanie Hym Lee
Mia Yim shared that initially, her parents were against her wrestling, so her major goal was to change their mindset and make them proud of her achievements in wrestling.
The Los Angeles native started her professional wrestling career in 2009.
She is notably known for winning the Shine Championship in 2014 and the 2017 Impact Knockout Championship. She joined WWE in 2018.
Before that, Stephanie Hym Lee was involved in sports. She played volleyball at James Madison High School and continued to play for Marymount University until her senior year.
The wrestler has revealed that her parents, particularly her dad, were very strict while raising her.
Though her accomplishments were unparalleled by any other WWE fighter, when she was released from the WWE in November 2021, she felt that she failed her parents.
Mia Yim Apologized To Her Father For Failing Him
The professional wrestler revealed that when she learned about her release, she immediately texted her father to apologize.
“I remember a text message that I sent to my dad after I got released saying,” Michin recalled during the same interview with Alexander Stewart.
“I’m sorry that I failed you, and I should have done better this time I’m 30.”
Mia Yim
However, her dad never thought like that. He was incredibly proud of her accomplishments as a combat sports star all the time. “He was like, “I am proud of you for everything you’ve done,” Stephanie said.
“What are you talking about? Like you’ve accomplished so much and you weren’t even supposed to make it with what they were looking for, what they were hiring. You weren’t even supposed to get hired, but you made it happen.”
Mia Yim’s Father
And that was all she needed to hear. In addition, his reply helped her move forward and work hard to get back into the ring again.
The Los Angeles native shared how much her father’s pride meant to her.
“During the pandemic, I was able to help my mom financially. Like, I’ve done everything I wanted to with this career, where now I’m like I just want to have fun and have people remember me as me and to also help like the younger generation come up.”
Mia Yim
Though the name of the wrestler’s dad hasn’t been revealed, he has been seen at her matches several times. Stephanie has also posted several pictures of her father on her Instagram.
As mentioned, her dad, who is African-American, formerly served in the military and worked as an FBI agent.
Mia Yim’s Mother Sunhong Bell Is Korean
Mia Yim’s mother, Sunhong Bell, proudly holds her Korean heritage. Born in 1949, Sunhong once worked as a hairstylist at a Washington D.C. salon.
On Instagram, she uses the names Sun Bell and Sunhong Bell and mentions a connection to Salon Sielo in Washington D.C.
However, it is unknown if the hairstylist was just working at the salon or owned it.
I think my dad and step mom are ready for #slammiversary ! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/oUZvZbQnfA
— Michin 미친 (@MiaYim) June 11, 2016
As much as the wrestler’s dad supports her and takes pride in her accomplishments, the same goes for her mother.
Furthermore, Michin’s parents are no longer married. They parted ways over a decade ago.
On 11 June 2016, Michin took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a cute picture, writing, “I think my dad and stepmom are ready for #slammiversary.”
Additional Information
- According to several reports, Mia Yim’s net worth is estimated to be around $7 million, which she accumulated during her impressive wrestling career.
- The professional fighter has been married to Keith Lee, a professional wrestler signed to AEW on 5 February 2022. The couple has not welcomed any kids yet.
- Mia Yim’s younger sister, Kris Yim, is dating Big E, a former WWE Champion.
- Recently, during a segment on WWE RAW, The New Day mentioned Kris, which led to a reaction from Mia on social media.
- Mia tweeted, “Whoa whoa whoa now… @MissYim2 we gotta jump em now,” showing her support for her sister.
