Nikki Bella
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Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace (born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Nikki Bella, is an American professional wrestler and
television personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
. She is currently signed to
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
as an ambassador. In 2007, Bella signed with WWE and was assigned to developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) alongside her twin sister
Brie Bella Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Bella, is an American professional wrestler and TV personality. She is currently signed to WWE working as an ambassador. She and her twin N ...
, forming the duo The Bella Twins. She made her debut for the ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'' brand in 2008. Nikki Bella is a two-time WWE Divas Champion and holds the record for the longest reign with that title (301 days). Bella ranked No. 1 in ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''s Female 50 in November 2015, and was named Diva of the Year by ''
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'' in December 2015. She also won the award for Choice Female Athlete alongside her sister at the Teen Choice Awards in 2016.


Early life

Born sixteen minutes before her twin sister,
Brianna ''Brianna'', ''Breanna'', ''Breanne'', ''Briana'', ''Brina'', and ''Bryanna'' are feminine given names. ''Brianna'' is a feminine English language form of the masculine Irish language name ''Brian'' as "Briana" is the original spelling. The name is ...
, to parents Jon Garcia and Kathy Colace, Garcia-Colace was born in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
, and raised on a farm in the
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
suburb of
Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...
. She is of Mexican and
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
descent. Keen soccer enthusiasts, she along with her twin sister played for the Scottsdale club in elementary school. She graduated from Chaparral High School in 2002. She then returned to San Diego for college where she played soccer for
Grossmont College Grossmont College is a public community college in El Cajon, California. Its name originated with the silent film actor and producer William J. Gross, who was enticed by Ed Fletcher to invest the purchase of land, part of which was called Grossmo ...
, but relocated to
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a year later, where she worked as a waitress at the
Mondrian Hotel The Mondrian Hotel is a boutique hotel owned and/or operated by SBE Entertainment Group, located in West Hollywood, California. History The structure was built in 1959 as an apartment building. It was later renovated and reopened in 1985 as the ...
while trying to find an agent. She then started modeling, acting, and doing promotional work. She made her first national TV appearance on the
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show '' Meet My Folks''. Following this appearance, the Garcia twins were hired to be the World Cup Twins for
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and were photographed holding the
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
trophy. Nikki and her sister Brie were contestants in the 2006 "International Body Doubles twins search". Nikki and Brie later participated in the 2006 '' WWE Diva Search'', but they did not make the cut.


Professional wrestling career


World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE


Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2008)

Nicole was signed to a developmental contract with her sister by
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE) in June 2007 and was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's then- developmental territory, in
Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
. At a FCW house show on September 15, 2007, Nicole and her twin Brie, called The Bella Twins, made their in-ring debut by defeating Nattie Neidhart and
Krissy Vaine Kristin Parmeter (née Eubanks; born January 12, 1981) is an American model, professional wrestler and valet. She is better known by her ring name Krissy Vaine and also for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment. She also trained at WWE's devel ...
with Victoria Crawford as the
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
. She quickly started a scripted rivalry with Neidhart and Crawford, competing in a series of matches against them throughout October 2007. As a part of their on-screen personas, she and Brie would switch places behind the referee's back if one of them was hurt. She also occasionally competed in mixed tag team matches, teaming with male wrestlers including
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
and Robert Anthony. She also made some non-wrestling appearances on Heath Miller's ''Happy Hour'' promo segment. Starting in December 2007, she managed Derrick Linkin, however, the storyline was cut short when Linkin was released in January 2008. She and Brie then resumed their feud with Neidhart and Crawford, wrestling them throughout much of 2008. After Neidhart was called up to the WWE roster in April 2008, Milena Roucka took her place in the feud. Nikki also competed in
bikini contest A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coverin ...
s, and wrestled against other competitors including Katie Lea Burchill and Daisy. Nikki's last FCW appearance was on September 2, when she competed in a
Divas Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
won by Miss Angela.


The Bella Twins (2008–2011)

On the August 29, 2008, episode of ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'', Brianna debuted as
Brie Bella Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Bella, is an American professional wrestler and TV personality. She is currently signed to WWE working as an ambassador. She and her twin N ...
, defeating
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. She quickly began a scripted rivalry with Victoria and Victoria's accomplice,
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
, and had a series of matches against them. In each match, Brie would roll out of the ring and go underneath it, emerging and appearing revived, and then win the match. On the October 31 episode of ''SmackDown'', when Brie went under the ring, Victoria grabbed her legs, but a second pair of legs kicked her off, implying that a second person was under the ring. The following week on ''SmackDown'', Brie defeated Victoria and then ran under the ring to escape Natalya and Victoria, but Victoria and Natalya both reached for Brie under the ring, resulting in both Nicole and Brie being pulled out. The twins then attacked them and celebrated afterward. Nicole was then introduced as Nikki Bella, and the twins had their first official match as a team on the November 21 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating Victoria and Natalya. They continued competing in tag team matches over the following months. Starting in November, the twins developed an on-screen relationship with The Colóns ( Carlito and Primo), appearing in numerous backstage segments with them, and accompanying them to the ring. In February 2009, the storyline expanded to include John Morrison and The Miz, who flirted with the Bellas and took them on a
date Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner ** Group dating *Play date, a ...
for Valentine's Day. The date provoked a rivalry between the teams of The Miz and Morrison and Primo and Carlito, with the four competing for the affection of the twins, who were seemingly unable to choose between them. On the March 17 episode of '' ECW'', Carlito and Primo, aiming for Morrison and The Miz, accidentally spat apples in the face of Brie. Nikki began to laugh at Brie's misfortune, and a fight broke out between the two, which led to Nikki leaving with The Miz and Morrison, while Brie stayed with Primo and Carlito, with Nikki turning heel in the process. Brie won her first match over Nikki in a six-person intergender tag team match on ''SmackDown'' the following week. On the March 31 episode of ''ECW'', Nikki pinned Brie in their first singles match against each other after a distraction from Morrison and The Miz. On April 15, 2009, The Bella Twins were both drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 supplemental draft. On April 27, Brie made her ''Raw'' in-ring debut in an eight-Diva tag team match, which her team won. Nikki also made an appearance, reuniting with her twin as she was under the ring to help Brie during the match, turning face in the process. Nikki then made her in-ring debut for the brand the following month in a battle royal, but was eliminated by
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
. On June 29, 2009, they were both traded to the ECW brand. They debuted on ''ECW'' the following night as special guests on ''The
Abraham Washington Brian Bary Jossie (born February 2, 1978), better known by his ring name Abraham Washington (abbreviated A. W.), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling manag ...
Show''. They developed a storyline feud with Katie Lea Burchill, when Nikki defeated her in a match by switching places with Brie behind the referee's back. The following week on '' Superstars'', Brie defeated Burchill in similar fashion, and the feud ended in September when Nikki defeated Burchill on ''Superstars''. On October 12, the Bellas were traded back to Raw as part of a tri-branded Divas trade, where they predominately appeared in backstage segments with the weekly guest stars and only occasionally competed in matches. On the January 4, 2010, episode of ''Raw'', Brie participated in a tournament for the vacant
WWE Divas Championship The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie ...
, but lost to
Maryse Maryse is a given name. Notable persons with this name include: *Maryse Alberti, cinematographer *Maryse Condé, author *Maryse Dauvray, actress *Maryse Lassonde, neuropsychologist *Maryse Liburdi (formerly Maryse Thomas), CEO *Maryse Marpsat, soci ...
in the first round, when a switch resulted in Nikki being pinned. In June 2010, they developed a feud with
Jillian Hall Jillian Faye Hall ( Fletcher; September 6, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE. After debuting in 1998, Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. She won numerous champ ...
, when Brie defeated her after switching places with Nikki. The following week, Nikki defeated Hall after switching with Brie. The feud was exacerbated when the Bellas acted as the
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
s during one of Hall's matches. During the match, Hall attacked both twins, but lost the match when Nikki made a fast count, allowing her to be pinned by
Gail Kim Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockou ...
. The next week on ''Superstars'', the twins defeated Hall and Maryse in a tag team match to end the storyline. On August 31, The Bella Twins announced they would be part of the all-female third season of '' NXT'', mentoring Jamie. Jamie was the first rookie Diva eliminated on the October 5 episode of ''NXT''. In November, the twins began a storyline with Daniel Bryan, when Brie accompanied him to the ring for his match. Following his win, Nikki ran out and the two fought over Bryan's affection, until Bryan broke it up and had them hug each other. They began to manage Bryan and frequently accompanied him to the ring over the next two months. In January 2011, both Bellas turned into villainous characters for the first time in their careers, when they discovered Bryan kissing Gail Kim backstage and assaulted her. They continued to attack Kim, both at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
and on ''Raw'', and on February 7, they teamed with Melina in a losing effort to Kim, Eve Torres, and Tamina.


Divas Champion (2011–2012)

The Bellas began feuding with Eve Torres after they appeared as lumberjills during a Divas Championship match between Torres and
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
on the February 14 episode of ''Raw''. Following the match, they attacked Torres backstage before
Gail Kim Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockou ...
and Natalya stopped them. The next week, the twins defeated Torres and Kim in a tag team match. The following week, Nikki won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the Divas Championship, and unsuccessfully challenged Torres for the championship on March 7. On April 11, Nikki helped Brie defeat Torres to win the Divas Championship, marking the first time either twin had held a championship in WWE. Nikki helped Brie once again, this time to successfully defend the championship against Kelly Kelly at Over the Limit, after switching places with Brie. However, Brie lost the championship against Kelly on a special "Power to the People" episode of ''Raw'' on June 20, ending her reign at 70 days, and failing to regain it on July 17, in a rematch against Kelly at Money in the Bank. The twins spent the majority of the rest of the year in tag team matches, regularly facing Kelly and Torres. The Bellas began to show friction for the second time since joining WWE in March 2012, after both twins lost to
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wo ...
in singles competition. After Brie's match with Lee, Nikki revealed that Brie was rooting for Team Johnny in the 12-man tag team match at WrestleMania XXVIII, whilst Nikki was rooting for Team Teddy, thus furthering their dissension. On the April 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Nikki defeated then Divas Champion
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
in a non-title match, after Kelly Kelly distracted Phoenix. On April 23, Nikki defeated Phoenix in a lumberjill match on ''Raw'' to win the Divas Championship for the first time. Brie lost Nikki's championship to Layla at Extreme Rules after ''Twin Magic'' failed, ending her Divas Championship reign after only a week. The following night on ''Raw'', they competed in their last match with the WWE, failing to win back the Divas Championship from Layla in a triple threat match. Later that night, WWE announced on their website that the twins had been fired by Executive Administrator Eve Torres.


Independent circuit (2012–2013)

On May 1, 2012, the twins appeared at their first independent wrestling show in
Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...
for the promotion Northeast Wrestling. They later appeared for CTWE Pro Wrestling at the ''Season Beatings'' pay-per-view on December 15, each accompanying a different wrestler to the ring.


Return to WWE


''Total Divas'' storylines (2013–2014)

On the March 11, 2013, episode of ''Raw'', The Bella Twins returned to WWE in a backstage segment with Team Rhodes Scholars (
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
and
Damien Sandow Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American professional wrestler best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow. He is also known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit unde ...
). On the March 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', they attacked The Funkadactyls ( Cameron and
Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
), and the following week interfered in matches between Team Rhodes Scholars and Brodus Clay and
Tensai Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler and professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Bloom ...
, but were attacked by The Funkadactyls. The twins made their in–ring return facing and defeating The Funkadactyls on the March 27 episode of '' Main Event'' after interference from Cody Rhodes, and also defeated them on ''Raw'' five days later. The Bella Twins were scheduled to participate in an eight–person tag team match with Team Rhodes Scholars against Tons of Funk (Clay and Tensai) and The Funkadactyls at
WrestleMania 29 WrestleMania 29 (billed in print ads as WrestleMania NY/NJ) was the 29th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. N ...
on April 7, but the match was canceled due to time restraints, and instead took place the following night on ''Raw'', where The Bella Twins and Team Rhodes Scholars were defeated. The twins continued their feud with The Funkadactyls, defeating them in standard tag team, and six-Diva tag team matches. In June, Nikki suffered a fractured tibia.Upon the debut of the ''
Total Divas ''Total Divas'' is an American reality television series that aired from July 28, 2013, to December 10, 2019, on E!. The series gave viewers an inside look into the lives of female WWE wrestlers from their work within WWE to their person ...
''
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
program in July, The Bellas returned and started a feud with their co-star on the show,
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
. Brie and Natalya went on to trade victories in singles competition on ''Raw'' and at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 18. The cast of ''Total Divas'' then transitioned into a scripted feud with
Divas Champion The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gue ...
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wo ...
, who mocked the show and cast, turning The Bellas
faces The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...
in the process. Nikki returned to in-ring action on the October 25 episode of ''SmackDown'', losing to Lee. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 24, the twins were part of the victorious Team Total Divas. On the December 9 episode of ''Raw'', the twins were awarded
Slammy Award The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 e ...
s for Diva of the Year. On April 6, 2014, Nikki competed at
WrestleMania XXX WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the first WWE ...
in the 14-
Diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is cl ...
"
Vickie Guerrero Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...
Invitational match" for the Divas Championship, which was won by the defending champion AJ Lee. The same month, Brie became involved in her real-life husband Daniel Bryan's ongoing storyline with
Stephanie McMahon Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...
and Kane, where as part of the storyline, McMahon threatened to fire Brie if, an injured, Bryan did not relinquish the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...
at
Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
on June 1, which forced Brie to "quit" WWE before slapping McMahon in the face. After Brie quit, McMahon put Nikki in several
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
es as punishment. After being absent for a month, Brie returned to WWE television, appearing in the crowd on July 21; following a confrontation, McMahon slapped Brie and was subsequently arrested. In order to have Brie drop the "charges", Brie was rehired and received a match against McMahon at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
. At the pay-per-view on August 17, Nikki turned heel by attacking Brie, which allowed McMahon to win the match. The next several weeks saw the twins fight in several backstage and in-ring segments, including a cameo appearance from
Jerry Springer Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
on ''Raw'' on September 8. As part of the storyline, McMahon declared Nikki the face of the Divas division and granted her a match at Night of Champions for the Divas Championship on September 21, which she failed to win. Nikki then obtained permission to begin forcing Brie to compete in handicap matches, similar to her punishment at the hands of McMahon, although Brie was able to win them. This led to a match between the twins at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
on October 26, where the loser was forced to become the winner's
personal assistant A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task,. it is a sub-specialty of secretarial duties ...
for 30 days, in which Nikki defeated Brie. Five days later on ''SmackDown'', Nikki won a
Halloween costume Halloween costumes are costumes worn on Halloween, a festival which falls on October 31. An early reference to wearing costumes at Halloween comes from Scotland in 1585, but they may pre-date this. There are many references to the custom during ...
battle royal to become the number one contender for the Divas Championship.


Longest–reigning Divas Champion (2014–2015)

Nikki received her title match against
AJ Lee April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wo ...
on November 23 at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, which she won with Brie's help to become a two-time Divas Champion. The duo had reconciled at this point, with Brie also turning heel in the process. Nikki then went on to retain her championship in three separate occasions – against Lee in a rematch on December 14, at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, against
Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
two days later on ''SmackDown'', and against Paige at Fastlane on February 22, 2015. Paige and Lee then formed an
alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
against the Bellas, which led to a tag team match at
WrestleMania 31 WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Santa Clara, California. Nine ...
on March 29, where Lee and Paige were victorious. On April 26, after Nikki, with the help of Brie, once again retained her title against Naomi at Extreme Rules a feud started with Naomi aligning with the returning Tamina to even the odds against the Bellas, who began showing more heroic characteristics. This change in character was criticized as "sudden", "randomly", and "for no reason". This led to a
tag team match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
between the two teams at
Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
on May 17, where Naomi and Tamina were victorious. At Elimination Chamber on May 31, Nikki retained her title against Naomi and Paige in a
triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, with Brie banned from ringside. In June, The Bella Twins became villains once again by employing ''Twin Magic'', which helped Nikki retain the title against Paige on the June 1 episode of ''Raw'' and at Money in the Bank on June 14. During the feud with Paige,
Alicia Fox Victoria Crawford (born June 30, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler and former model known for her time with WWE under the ring name Alicia Fox. Crawford debuted on '' SmackDown'' on June 13, 2008, using the Alicia Fox name and ...
allied with them to form
Team Bella The Bella Twins were a professional wrestling tag team who performed on WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella (real names Brianna and Nicole). Each of the Bella Twins are a former WWE WWE Divas Championship, Divas ...
. At The Beast in the East on July 4, Nikki retained the title against Paige and Tamina. After weeks of Team Bella outnumbering Paige, Naomi, and Tamina,
Stephanie McMahon Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...
called for a "revolution" in the WWE Divas division and introduced the debuting Charlotte and
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and highest-paid wrestlers. Twitter name ...
as Paige's allies, while NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks debuted as an ally to Naomi and Tamina, which led to a brawl between the three teams. Nikki then lost to Charlotte in a tag team match on the August 3 episode of ''Raw'', and to Banks on the August 17 episode of ''Raw'' in a non-title match. The three teams faced off at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 23 in a three team elimination match, in which Team Bella first eliminated Team B.A.D. before Team PCB won. On the September 14 episode of ''Raw'', Nikki defended her title against Charlotte, who pinned Brie after the twins had switched places to win the match; however, since the title cannot change hands by disqualification, Nikki retained the championship, and in the process, became the new longest reigning Divas Champion in history, surpassing AJ Lee's previous record of 295 days. Nikki dropped the championship to Charlotte at Night of Champions on September 20, ending her reign at 301 days, and failed to regain the title in a rematch at
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
on October 25. Shortly after, Nikki went on a hiatus from television due to a neck injury which would require surgery, but returned for one night on December 21, to accept the
Slammy Award The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 e ...
for Diva of the Year. Nikki made a brief cameo appearance at the
WrestleMania 32 WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
event on April 3, 2016, celebrating with Brie after winning a 10-Diva tag team match. In June, Nikki confirmed that she would no longer use her ''Rack Attack'' maneuver and began training with her sister's husband Daniel Bryan, whom she announced was teaching her a new finishing move. On July 21, she was revealed to be cleared for in-ring competition and continued her training at the
WWE Performance Center The WWE Performance Center is the official professional wrestling school system of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The promotion currently operates two Performance Center locations, which serve as training facilities for WWE ...
.


Various storylines (2016–2019)

After ten months of inactivity, Bella made a surprise return as a villain at the
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
pay–per–view on August 21, 2016, where she replaced
Eva Marie Natalie Eva Marie Nelson (born September 19, 1984) is an American actress, fashion designer, model, and professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, from 2013–2017 and 2020–2021, where she performed under the ring name ...
and teamed with
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
and
Alexa Bliss Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was a ...
against
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and highest-paid wrestlers. Twitter name ...
,
Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
, and Carmella whom they defeated after Bella pinned Carmella. This sparked a storyline feud between Bella (who was established as part of the SmackDown brand) and Carmella, also re-establishing Bella as a
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
in the process. Simultaneously with her feud with Carmella, Bella took part in a six–pack elimination challenge to determine the inaugural WWE SmackDown Women's Champion at
Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character * ''Backla ...
on September 11, where she eliminated Natalya but was eliminated by Carmella. Bella eventually gained revenge as she defeated Carmella at No Mercy on October 9 and also at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a
no disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
on December 4 to end their feud. Bella then became the team captain of Team SmackDown for the traditional five–on–five elimination match at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
. However, at the event on November 20, she was replaced by Natalya, after someone attacked her backstage before the match. In December, just after their feud ended, Carmella revealed Natalya as the attacker, who eventually confirmed it with the main reason being Bella's success and Natalya's downfall in the company. Upon the beginning of 2017, both women kept attacking each other, which led to a match at Elimination Chamber on February 12 that ended in a double count–out. In a rematch that took place on the February 21 episode of ''SmackDown'', Natalya defeated Bella in a falls count anywhere match after
Maryse Maryse is a given name. Notable persons with this name include: *Maryse Alberti, cinematographer *Maryse Condé, author *Maryse Dauvray, actress *Maryse Lassonde, neuropsychologist *Maryse Liburdi (formerly Maryse Thomas), CEO *Maryse Marpsat, soci ...
attacked Bella with a lead pipe due to Bella accidentally tripping over her in the backstage make up area during her match with Natalya. Maryse's attack sparked a feud between the two, which actually involved Bella's real real–life boyfriend
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
and Maryse's real–life husband,
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
. This led to a
mixed tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ...
between the two couples at
WrestleMania 33 WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 201 ...
on April 2, which Cena and Bella won. After the match, Cena legitimately proposed to Bella, which she accepted. On April 4, Bella announced via her Instagram account that she would be taking time off from wrestling. The Bella Twins made an appearance at the '' 25th Anniversary of Raw'' on January 22, 2018. A few days later, both Nikki and Brie competed in the inaugural women's
royal rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at the 2018 Royal Rumble on January 28, where Nikki entered at #27, lasting 16 minutes and 30 seconds before she was the last woman eliminated by the eventual winner Asuka. Both twins made an appearance at the
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
pay–per–view on August 19, showing their support for
Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey (; born February 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, actress, former judoka and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand and is the current SmackDown Women ...
in her match with
Alexa Bliss Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was a ...
. In September, The Bella Twins returned full-time on ''Raw'' and feuded with The Riott Squad (
Ruby Riott Dori Elizabeth Prange ( ; born January 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to orld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where she performs under the ring name Ruby Riot. Prange has also worked in World Wonder Ring Stardom (a ...
,
Liv Morgan Gionna Jene Daddio (born June 8, 1994) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Liv Morgan. She is a former SmackDown Women's Champion. In ...
and
Sarah Logan Sarah Rowe (née Bridges; born September 10, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Valhalla. From 2017 to 2019, she was a member of the stable The Riott ...
), over which they scored victories in various tag team and singles matches. To even the odds, Ronda Rousey aligned with The Bella Twins, and the trio was able to defeat The Riott Squad at Super Show-Down in a six–woman tag team match on October 6. Two days later on the October 8 episode of ''Raw'', after defeating The Riott Squad in a rematch, Nikki attacked Rousey, with Brie later following suit, turning villainous for the first time since 2015. Later that night, it was announced that Nikki would face Rousey for the
Raw Women's Championship The WWE Raw Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along ...
in the main event of the first ever all women's pay–per–view,
WWE Evolution WWE Evolution was a women's professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and NXT UK brand divisions. The event took place on October 28 ...
on October 28 in which she was unsuccessful despite multiple interferences by Brie.


Ambassador and Hall of Fame (2019–present)

On June 20, 2019, it was announced that a cyst had been found on Bella's brain, ending her in-ring career. On the February 21, 2020, episode of ''SmackDown'', it was announced that Nikki and her twin sister Brie would be inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
. On the second night of
WrestleMania 37 WrestleMania 37 was the 37th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place as a two-night ...
on April 11, 2021, Nikki, along with her sister Brie, appeared together and attacked Bayley, sending her rolling down the ramp. Despite being retired, on the January 7, 2022, episode of ''
SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'', Nikki was announced as a participant in the women's Royal Rumble match at
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
. At the namesake event on January 29, she entered at #24, eliminating
Alicia Fox Victoria Crawford (born June 30, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler and former model known for her time with WWE under the ring name Alicia Fox. Crawford debuted on '' SmackDown'' on June 13, 2008, using the Alicia Fox name and ...
and
Sarah Logan Sarah Rowe (née Bridges; born September 10, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Valhalla. From 2017 to 2019, she was a member of the stable The Riott ...
before she was eliminated by her sister Brie, who was also in the match.


Other media

Prior to working with WWE, the twins appeared on '' Meet My Folks''. Both twins also appeared in the music video for " Right Side of the Bed" by the band
Atreyu Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of clean vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocalist Marc "Porter" McKnight, and ...
. They also appeared in the music video for " Na Na" by
Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, '' Trey Day' ...
in 2014. The twins made a guest appearance on the MTV series '' Ridiculousness'' in October 2012. The twins guest starred on the television series '' Psych'', in the 2014 episode "A Nightmare on State Street". Nikki and Brie are part of the main cast for the
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
show ''
Total Divas ''Total Divas'' is an American reality television series that aired from July 28, 2013, to December 10, 2019, on E!. The series gave viewers an inside look into the lives of female WWE wrestlers from their work within WWE to their person ...
'', which began airing in July 2013, and star in their own spinoff entitled ''
Total Bellas ''Total Bellas'' is an American reality television series that aired from October 5, 2016, to January 28, 2021 on E!. A spin-off of ''Total Divas'', the series gave viewers a further look into the lives of twin sisters and professional wrestler ...
''. The show premiered on E! on October 5, 2016. Nikki and Brie co-starred in the 2014 independent film '' Confessions of a Womanizer'', and provided voices for the 2015 movie '' The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!''. Both twins appeared on the WWE
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
show ''The JBL & Cole Show''. She appeared at the Miss USA 2013 pageant as one of the celebrity judges. They appeared at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, where they presented the award for Best Female. The twins were both nominated for Choice Female Athlete at the
2015 Teen Choice Awards The 2015 Teen Choice Awards ceremony was held on August 16, 2015, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. The awards celebrate the year's achievements in music, film, television, sports, fashion, comedy, video games, and the Internet, and ...
, an award they would later win at the 2016 ceremony. On November 21, 2016, Nikki and Brie unveiled their new YouTube channel, "The Bella Twins.” The sisters’ channel features daily fashion, beauty, travel, fitness, relationship, and health videos, along with daily
video blog A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...
s, created by the twins themselves. On April 2, 2018, The Bella Twins revealed that they were awarded the YouTube Gold Creator Award for reaching 1 million subscribers for their channel. The Bella Twins appeared in
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
r
Lilly Singh Lilly Saini Singh (born September 26, 1988) is a Canadian YouTuber. Singh began making YouTube videos in 2010. She originally appeared under the pseudonym Superwoman (stylized IISuperwomanII), her YouTube username until 2019. In 2016, she was in ...
's video "When Someone Tries to Steal Your BFF" on March 2, 2017. On August 21, 2017, Nikki and Brie launched their own wine label called Belle Radici in collaboration with Hill Family Estates and Gauge Branding. On September 6, 2017, Bella was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on the 25th season of '' Dancing with the Stars''. She was paired with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. She was eliminated on October 30, 2017. On November 1, 2017, Nikki and Brie launched Birdiebee, a lifestyle intimates and activewear brand. The line includes transitional intimates, activewear, and loungewear aimed at “empowering and educating women through mirroring the twins’ passion for life, strength, women's health and wellness, and fun.” On May 23, 2018, Bella appeared in the celebrity edition of
American Ninja Warrior American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
: Ninja vs Ninja. On January 28, 2019, Nikki and Brie launched Nicole + Brizee, a body and beauty line. On March 27, 2019, Nikki and Brie launched their own podcast, ''The Bellas Podcast'', with the Endeavour Audio network. In 2021, it was relaunched after being acquired by Stitcher, a subsidiary of Sirius XM. In March 2020, Nikki and Brie released their memoir ''Incomparable'', which became New York Best Seller. In 2021, Nikki and Brie launched another wine label called Bonita Bonita Wine. They also launched their own baby gear collection in partnership with Colugo. Nikki and Brie also announced that they joined Colugo as investors and are now creative advisors. Nikki appeared on '' America's Got Talent: Extreme'' serving as a judge alongside
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
and
Travis Pastrana Travis Alan Pastrana (born October 8, 1983) is an American professional motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several disciplines, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, a ...
. The series premiered on February 21, 2022, and concluded on March 14, 2022. On October 19, 2022,
Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
announced that Nikki alongside Carson Daly will join Shelton's new bar-inspired
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
named '' Barmageddon'', as Nikki would serve as the host. Bella has appeared in eleven
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
video games. She made her in-game debut in '' WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2010'' and appears in '' WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011'', '' WWE 12'' ( DLC), '' WWE 13'', ''
WWE 2K14 ''WWE 2K14'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on October 29, 2013, in North America, October 30, 2013, in Japan, October 31, 2013, in Austr ...
'' (DLC), '' WWE 2K15'', '' WWE 2K16'', '' WWE 2K17'' '' WWE 2K18'', '' WWE 2K19'', ''
WWE 2K20 ''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment o ...
,'' and '' WWE 2K Battlegrounds''.


Personal life

In May 2014, Nikki revealed on ''Total Divas'' that she had married her high school sweetheart at the age of 20; the marriage was
annulled Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost ...
three years later. Nikki began dating
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
in 2012. The couple became engaged on April 2, 2017, when Cena proposed to her after their mixed tag-team match at
WrestleMania 33 WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 201 ...
. On April 15, 2018, the couple called off the engagement and canceled their wedding, which was planned for May 5, 2018. She has been dating her Season 25 '' Dancing with the Stars'' partner and Russian dancer Artem Chigvintsev since January 2019. On January 3, 2020, the couple announced their engagement. On January 29, 2020, Nikki announced that she is expecting her first child alongside her twin sister Brie, who announced her own second pregnancy the same day. On June 11, 2020, on the season five finale of ''
Total Bellas ''Total Bellas'' is an American reality television series that aired from October 5, 2016, to January 28, 2021 on E!. A spin-off of ''Total Divas'', the series gave viewers a further look into the lives of twin sisters and professional wrestler ...
'', Nikki announced the baby's sex, a boy. She gave birth to Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev on July 31, 2020. The couple married on August 26, 2022. Nikki and her sister Brie are fans of the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
football team.


Bibliography

*''Incomparable'' (2020)


Filmography


Music videos


Championships and accomplishments

* ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' **
World record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
: Longest WWE Divas Championship reign * ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' ** Ranked No. 1 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the ''PWI Female 50'' in 2015 * ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ** Diva of the Year (2015) ** Most Improved Wrestler (2015) * Teen Choice Awards ** Choice Female Athlete (2016) – with
Brie Bella Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Bella, is an American professional wrestler and TV personality. She is currently signed to WWE working as an ambassador. She and her twin N ...
* ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
' ** Worst Feud of the Year (2014) Brie vs. Nikki ** Worst Feud of the Year (2015) Team PCB vs. Team B.A.D. vs.
Team Bella The Bella Twins were a professional wrestling tag team who performed on WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella (real names Brianna and Nicole). Each of the Bella Twins are a former WWE WWE Divas Championship, Divas ...
*
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
**
WWE Divas Championship The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie ...
( 2 times) **
Slammy Award The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 e ...
(2 times) *** Diva of the Year (
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
, 2015) – 2013 award shared with Brie Bella **
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
(
Class of 2020 ''Class of 2020'' is a 2020 Hindi web series created and produced by Vikas Gupta for Ekta Kapoor's video on demand platform ALTBalaji. It stars Rohan Mehra and Joyita Chatterjee in lead roles. The web series revolves around the lives of a few t ...
) - as a member of The Bella Twins


References


External links

* * *
Online World of Wrestling profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bella, Nikki 1983 births American female professional wrestlers Hispanic and Latino American actresses American professional wrestlers of Italian descent American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent American YouTubers Living people American female YouTubers Participants in American reality television series Sportspeople from San Diego Professional wrestlers from Arizona Professional wrestlers from California Sportspeople from Scottsdale, Arizona Grossmont College alumni WWE Hall of Fame inductees 21st-century American women American actresses of Mexican descent 21st-century professional wrestlers WWE Divas Champions