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Nikki Bella Says She and Ex-Fiance John Cena Wanted ‘2 Different Lives’ Before Deciding to Split
When one door closes, another opens. Pregnant reality star Nikki Bella revealed why she and ex John Cena ended their engagement in 2018.
“Overall, we did have such an incredible relationship, it was just two people that wanted two different lives,” the 36-year-old told Maria Menounos on the TV correspondent’s “Better Together” podcast on May 20. “We were trying so hard to make it one.”
The brunette beauty also revealed when the popular wrestler, 43, was “willing to give [her] kids,” Nikki could tell it wasn’t what John truly wanted in his life. “And that’s really, like, you know, what pushed me in the end, was like, if I’m going to force someone to be a father,” she said. “What if he looks at you down the road and just regrets everything, and then you have this child and you’ve built this life. Is that what you want? And I remember thinking: It’s not what I want.”
Nikki and John started dating in 2012. By 2013, the twosome had moved in together and seemed to be smitten with one another — though in a 2016 Total Bellas episode, it was revealed the Massachusetts native made Nikki sign a lengthy legal agreement before officially committing to cohabitation.
The WWE fighter popped the question in the ring after an epic duo match where the happy couple defeated fellow wrestling couple The Miz and wife Maryse in April 2017. But after six years together, the pair called off their engagement in April 2018.
“While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another,” they said in a statement at the time. “We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives.”
Nikki has since moved on with her former Dancing With the Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev. They started dating in March 2019 after a few months of speculation and got engaged that November. The starlet announced her pregnancy in late January 2020. “You just look at this thing growing inside of you, and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe how I’m so in love with something I’ve never even met!'” she told Life & Style exclusively in March.
As for John, he started dating girlfriend Shay Shariatzadeh in March 2019. They made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Playing With Fire premiere in October 2019 after seven months of dating.
