Nikki Bella Biography: Age, Husband, John Cena, WWE Career & Life Today

Nikki Bella is a former WWE Divas Champion, reality television personality, entrepreneur and one half of the famous Bella Twins. Born Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace on November 21, 1983, she grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her twin sister Brie before building a career that eventually took her from soccer and modeling into professional wrestling. Her WWE career made her widely known, while shows such as Total Divas and Total Bellas helped introduce her to audiences outside wrestling. In recent years, Nikki has returned to WWE, continued her business and media work, and balanced her career with raising her son.

Nikki Bella Age, Real Name and Early Life

Nikki Bella was born Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace in San Diego, California, on November 21, 1983. She was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is the twin sister of Brie Garcia, formerly known professionally as Brie Bella. IMDb lists Nikki at 5 feet 6 inches tall, while WWE also lists her height as 5 feet 6 inches. She and Brie grew up playing soccer and developed a strong interest in athletics before either sister entered professional wrestling.

Nikki was born 16 minutes before Brie, and the sisters later became inseparable professionally as The Bella Twins. Soccer was initially a major part of Nikki’s life, and she once considered pursuing the sport professionally. A leg injury changed those plans and eventually helped push her toward entertainment and wrestling. Her early athletic background later became useful when she began training for a physically demanding career in WWE.

Nikki Bella and Brie Bella

The relationship between Nikki Bella and Brie Bella has been one of the most important parts of Nikki’s career. The sisters entered WWE together and became one of the company’s best-known female duos. Their identical appearance also became part of their wrestling presentation through the famous “Twin Magic” storyline, in which they would secretly switch places during matches. The concept became a recognizable part of their early WWE careers before Nikki eventually developed a major singles career of her own.

The Bella Twins eventually became much bigger than a wrestling tag act. Nikki and Brie appeared together on Total Divas and later received their own reality series, Total Bellas, which followed their professional and personal lives. They also built businesses and media projects together, creating a brand that continued outside the wrestling ring. WWE now recognizes both sisters as Hall of Famers.

Why Nikki Bella Originally Wanted to Play Soccer

Before WWE, Nikki had a different career goal. She played soccer while growing up and reportedly continued playing at Grossmont College before moving toward entertainment. WWE states that a leg injury ended her plans to pursue professional soccer, after which she followed Brie toward professional wrestling. The change ultimately put her on a path that led to WWE, reality television and a much broader entertainment career.

How Nikki Bella Started Her WWE Career

Nikki and Brie first tried to enter WWE through the 2006 Raw Diva Search, although they did not make the final group. WWE officials later noticed the sisters and signed them to developmental contracts in 2007. They were assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental territory at the time, where they trained and performed before moving to the main roster. Their developmental period gave them the opportunity to learn professional wrestling while also developing the Bella Twins identity.

The sisters made their main-roster arrival in 2008, and the early storyline focused heavily on their identical appearance. Nikki was initially associated with Brie as part of the Twin Magic angle rather than immediately being presented as a major singles star. Over time, however, Nikki became increasingly comfortable as an individual performer. That development eventually led to championship success and made her one of the central women in WWE’s Divas era.

Nikki Bella WWE Career

Nikki Bella’s WWE career included championship success, major storylines and several different stages. She became a two-time WWE Divas Champion and eventually established herself as one of the company’s leading female performers. WWE lists her among its Hall of Famers and highlights her Divas Championship accomplishments as a central part of her career. Her signature move was the Rack Attack, which later evolved into Rack Attack 2.0.

Her career was not completely uninterrupted. Nikki and Brie had periods away from WWE, including time away from the company in the early 2010s, before returning and becoming more prominent. Nikki’s later run was especially important because she moved from being known mainly as one of the Bella Twins to becoming a powerful singles competitor. Her second Divas Championship reign became the defining achievement of that period.

Nikki Bella and the Divas Championship

Nikki Bella won the Divas Championship twice during her WWE career. Her second reign became historically significant because she held the title for 301 days, surpassing the previous record of 295 days held by AJ Lee. WWE continues to identify Nikki’s 301-day run as the longest reign in the history of the Divas Championship.

The reign came during a period when WWE’s women’s division was changing. Nikki was involved in storylines with performers including Paige and AJ Lee, while the company was gradually moving toward a greater emphasis on women’s wrestling. It would be inaccurate to credit one wrestler alone for the wider transformation, but Nikki was one of the prominent performers working during that transitional period. Her long championship reign remains one of the clearest statistics associated with her WWE career.

Nikki Bella and the Women’s Wrestling Era

Nikki’s career developed during the final years of WWE’s Divas branding and the beginning of the company’s broader women’s wrestling transformation. Her championship reigns came at a time when women were increasingly being given longer storylines and more significant matches. Nikki’s position as champion placed her in the middle of that transition. Her career therefore provides a useful connection between the Divas era and the later Women’s Evolution.

The Bellas also helped WWE reach viewers who may not have watched wrestling regularly. Their appearances on reality television gave audiences a chance to see the sisters away from the ring and helped build their personalities beyond wrestling characters. WWE credits Total Divas and Total Bellas with contributing to the Bellas’ crossover popularity.

Nikki Bella on Total Divas and Total Bellas

Total Divas became an important part of Nikki Bella’s public profile. The reality series followed the personal and professional lives of several WWE women, with Nikki and Brie becoming two of its most recognizable personalities. The program showed aspects of Nikki’s relationships, family life and wrestling career that were not normally part of WWE’s weekly programming. Her relationship with John Cena was also featured during the reality television period.

The success of Total Divas eventually led to Total Bellas, which focused more closely on Nikki, Brie and their families. The spinoff allowed viewers to see the sisters dealing with relationships, career decisions, business projects and major changes in their personal lives. This television work helped establish Nikki as a personality beyond professional wrestling. It also gave her a platform that remained relevant even when she was not actively wrestling.

Nikki Bella and John Cena

Nikki Bella and John Cena began dating in 2012, and their relationship became one of the most recognizable romances connected with WWE. Because both were major WWE performers, their relationship was discussed both inside and outside wrestling programming. Their personal life also became part of Total Divas, which meant viewers saw portions of their relationship on reality television. Cena and Nikki eventually became engaged in one of the most memorable WWE proposals of the 2010s.

Cena proposed to Nikki after their mixed tag-team match at WrestleMania 33 on April 2, 2017. The proposal took place in the ring in front of the WWE audience, making it a major moment for both performers. They planned to marry in May 2018, but their engagement ended before the wedding could take place. Their relationship officially ended in April 2018 after years together.

Why Did Nikki Bella and John Cena Break Up?

The breakup became widely discussed because the couple had been engaged and were publicly preparing for marriage. Their differing views about family and children were an important part of the story, with both discussing the subject publicly at different times. Nikki later explained that she did not want Cena to become a father simply because he felt pressured to change his own wishes. The relationship eventually ended even after they briefly attempted to reconsider their future together.

It is important to distinguish public comments from speculation when discussing their breakup. Their relationship involved several complicated personal issues, and neither a celebrity biography nor outside observers can accurately reduce the entire relationship to one reason. What is documented is that the engagement ended in April 2018 and the planned wedding was canceled.

Nikki Bella’s First Marriage

Nikki Bella’s relationship history began before John Cena. She revealed on Total Divas that she had married her high-school sweetheart when she was 20 years old. That marriage was later annulled, and Nikki subsequently focused on her career and relationships in the public eye. The detail is often overlooked because her relationship with Cena became much more prominent in entertainment coverage.

Her first marriage is worth mentioning briefly because it provides a more complete picture of her personal history. It also shows that Cena was not her first marriage and that her relationship history began well before she became one of WWE’s biggest female stars. Later, her marriage to Artem Chigvintsev became another major chapter of her personal life.

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev

After her relationship with John Cena ended, Nikki Bella began dating Russian dancer Artem Chigvintsev. The two had met through Dancing with the Stars, where Nikki competed during the show’s 25th season. Their relationship developed after Nikki’s time on the program and eventually became serious. They later became engaged and welcomed their first child together.

Nikki and Artem welcomed their son Matteo in July 2020. The couple married in August 2022, but their marriage later ended in divorce in 2024. IMDb lists their marriage as lasting from August 26, 2022, to November 26, 2024, and identifies Matteo as their child.

Nikki Bella Children and Son Matteo

Nikki Bella has one publicly documented child, her son Matteo. WWE announced his birth in July 2020 and congratulated Nikki and Artem after the couple welcomed their first child. Matteo has remained a private part of Nikki’s life compared with her highly public wrestling career.

Motherhood has become an important part of Nikki’s life as she has returned to wrestling and continued her other professional activities. She has spoken publicly about balancing work with raising her son and maintaining a co-parenting relationship. For a biography, the focus should remain on information Nikki has publicly shared rather than speculation about her child’s private life.

Nikki Bella Divorce

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev divorced in 2024 after approximately two years of marriage. Their divorce attracted significant media attention because it followed a domestic-violence arrest involving Chigvintsev in August 2024. However, the criminal case did not result in charges after the Napa County District Attorney’s Office determined there was insufficient evidence to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

When discussing the divorce, it is important to separate documented legal events from allegations. The arrest and allegations received substantial coverage, but an arrest is not a conviction and should not be presented as proof of wrongdoing. Nikki and Artem ultimately moved forward with their divorce and continued navigating their responsibilities as parents. Their relationship status is therefore best described through the documented divorce rather than unverified claims about their private lives.

Nikki Bella and Cooper DeJean

Nikki Bella was also linked to Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean in dating reports during 2026. Reports about the two spending time together generated interest because Nikki had recently gone through her divorce and was becoming active again in WWE. However, Nikki later publicly described herself as single, so it would be inaccurate to present Cooper DeJean as her confirmed boyfriend.

The situation is best described as dating speculation and reported outings rather than a confirmed long-term relationship. Nikki’s own comments about being single are more important than social-media speculation or headlines. For readers searching for Nikki Bella and Cooper DeJean, the key point is that they were linked romantically in reports, but Nikki has publicly identified herself as single.

Nikki Bella’s WWE Return

Nikki Bella returned to WWE in 2025 after spending several years away from regular in-ring competition. WWE’s current profile describes her return as part of a new chapter in her career and notes that she returned to the ring during 2025. Her comeback showed that retirement from regular competition did not necessarily mean she was finished with WWE.

Her return also gave fans an opportunity to see how she would fit into a women’s division that had changed substantially since her previous full-time run. Many of the wrestlers competing in WWE during her return represented a newer generation, while Nikki brought experience from an earlier era. The comeback therefore became both a personal return and a connection between different periods of women’s wrestling.

Nikki Bella and Brie Bella Reunite

The Bella Twins reunited in WWE during 2026, creating another major chapter in Nikki’s career. The sisters returned with the intention of competing for the Women’s Tag Team Championship, bringing their familiar partnership back to WWE programming. Their reunion was especially significant because both women had spent years developing careers outside the ring.

The comeback did not go completely according to plan. Nikki suffered an ankle injury on the road to WrestleMania 42, which prevented her from competing at the event. Brie instead teamed with Paige and won the Women’s Tag Team Championship, while Nikki later returned to WWE programming after recovering from the injury.

Nikki Bella’s 2026 WWE Return

Nikki returned to WWE on July 24, 2026, after more than four months away because of her ankle injury. She came to the aid of Brie Bella and Paige during a confrontation with Fatal Influence and then challenged the group to a six-woman tag-team match at SummerSlam. WWE officially promoted the match for August 1, 2026.

At SummerSlam 2026, Nikki, Brie and Paige faced Fatal Influence in the six-woman tag match. WWE’s official report confirms that the match took place, while Netflix’s results coverage records Fatal Influence as the winners. Nikki’s return therefore became another chapter in her ongoing WWE comeback rather than a simple one-night appearance.

Nikki Bella Career Outside WWE

Nikki Bella’s career has expanded well beyond wrestling. She became a reality television personality, businesswoman and media figure through projects connected to her sister and the Bella brand. The sisters have worked on businesses and entertainment projects together, including their podcast and other media ventures. Nikki has also been listed as a licensed real estate agent, showing another professional interest outside wrestling.

The Nikki and Brie brand has included clothing, beauty products, wine and digital media. Their podcast, The Nikki & Brie Show, has given the sisters another platform to discuss entertainment, family and their careers. These projects helped the sisters maintain public visibility during periods when they were not regularly wrestling.

Nikki Bella and Dancing With the Stars

Dancing with the Stars became another important television chapter for Nikki. She competed during the show’s 25th season in 2017, which gave her an opportunity to work outside the wrestling environment. The experience also played an indirect role in her later personal life because it was where she became acquainted with Artem Chigvintsev.

Her appearance on the program demonstrated that Nikki’s television career was not limited to WWE-related reality shows. She had already developed a public identity that could extend into different entertainment formats. This flexibility became increasingly important as her wrestling schedule changed.

Nikki Bella Business Ventures

Nikki has built businesses alongside her sister and has remained active in the lifestyle and entertainment space. The Bella Twins have been associated with products and brands involving clothing, beauty, wine and digital content. Their business strategy allowed them to turn their television and wrestling popularity into projects that could continue outside WWE. This helped establish a career path that did not depend entirely on wrestling matches.

Nikki’s professional activities in 2026 also include her continued media work and business interests. She has spoken publicly about managing her career while raising her son and returning to WWE. The combination of wrestling, television, business and motherhood has become a defining part of her current life.

Nikki Bella Wardrobe and Fashion Style

Fashion has also been part of Nikki Bella’s public image since her WWE career began. Her wrestling outfits were designed to complement the Bella Twins’ presentation, while her appearances away from the ring often featured more traditional red-carpet and television fashion. Over time, her style has changed along with her career and public identity. Her fashion coverage has become another part of the broader celebrity interest surrounding her.

Her wardrobe search interest is particularly connected with public appearances rather than one specific clothing line. Nikki has appeared at WWE events, television programs, movie premieres and other entertainment events where her outfits receive attention. A fashion-focused article could cover these appearances separately, while the main biography only needs a concise overview.

Nikki Bella Net Worth

Nikki Bella’s exact current net worth is difficult to verify because she has not publicly released complete financial records. Online celebrity websites publish different estimates, but those figures should not be treated as confirmed facts. Her income has come from several areas, including WWE, television, business ventures, endorsements, appearances and other media projects. Her long career has therefore created multiple potential sources of income.

Some of the main areas associated with Nikki’s professional income include:

• WWE wrestling and appearances
• Total Divas and Total Bellas
• Reality and television appearances
• Business ventures
• Brand partnerships
• Podcast and digital media work
• Public appearances
• Real estate
• Lifestyle and wine-related projects

Rather than relying on an unsupported dollar amount, it is more accurate to describe Nikki as a successful entertainment personality with income from several professional areas. Her career has continued to develop even during periods when she was not wrestling regularly.

Where Is Nikki Bella Now?

As of 2026, Nikki Bella remains active in WWE while continuing her work outside wrestling. Her return alongside Brie brought the Bella Twins back into WWE programming, and Nikki later returned from an ankle injury to participate in the SummerSlam storyline. She is also raising her son Matteo and continuing her media and business activities.

Her current chapter is different from the period when she was a full-time WWE performer. Nikki now has a career that combines wrestling appearances, television, business, podcasting and family responsibilities. Her WWE comeback has also allowed her to connect with a new generation of fans while maintaining the legacy she built during the Divas era.

Nikki Bella Facts

Here are some of the key facts about Nikki Bella:

• Real name: Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace
• Born: November 21, 1983
• Birthplace: San Diego, California
• Raised in: Scottsdale, Arizona
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches
• Twin sister: Brie Garcia
• Professional name: Nikki Bella
• Other professional name: Nikki Garcia
• WWE debut period: 2007–2008
• WWE championship: Two-time Divas Champion
• Longest Divas Championship reign: 301 days
• WWE Hall of Fame: Class of 2020
• Son: Matteo
• Former husband: Artem Chigvintsev
• Former fiancé: John Cena
• Major reality shows: Total Divas and Total Bellas
• WWE return: 2025
• Bella Twins reunion: 2026
• Current WWE status: Active in WWE programming

These facts show why Nikki Bella’s career cannot be reduced to one relationship or one championship. She has spent years moving between wrestling, television, business and family life.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nikki Bella

How old is Nikki Bella?

Nikki Bella was born on November 21, 1983, which makes her 42 years old as of September 2026. She was born in San Diego, California, and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Who is Nikki Bella’s husband?

Nikki Bella’s marriage to dancer Artem Chigvintsev ended in divorce in 2024. Before Artem, Nikki was engaged to John Cena, but they never married. IMDb lists her marriage to Chigvintsev from August 2022 until November 2024.

Does Nikki Bella have children?

Yes. Nikki Bella has one publicly documented child, her son Matteo, whom she shares with Artem Chigvintsev. WWE announced Matteo’s birth in July 2020.

What happened between Nikki Bella and John Cena?

Nikki Bella and John Cena began dating in 2012 and became engaged at WrestleMania 33 in April 2017. They planned to marry in May 2018, but ended their engagement in April 2018 after discussing major differences about their future and family plans.

Is Nikki Bella dating Cooper DeJean?

Nikki Bella and Cooper DeJean were linked in dating reports during 2026, but Nikki later publicly described herself as single. Therefore, Cooper DeJean should not be described as her confirmed boyfriend.

Conclusion

Nikki Bella’s biography covers much more than her years as one half of The Bella Twins. She began with an interest in soccer, moved into professional wrestling with her sister Brie, became a two-time Divas Champion and eventually earned a place in the WWE Hall of Fame. Her success on Total Divas and Total Bellas helped her build a second career in television, while business projects and media work gave her opportunities beyond the wrestling ring.

Her personal life has also been closely followed, from her engagement to John Cena to her marriage and divorce from Artem Chigvintsev and her role as a mother to Matteo. In 2025 and 2026, Nikki returned to WWE and reunited with Brie, showing that her wrestling career still has another chapter. As of 2026, Nikki Bella continues to balance WWE appearances, business, media work and motherhood while maintaining her place as one of the most recognizable women in modern WWE history.