Nikki Bella Says She and Fiance Artem Agreed to Go to Couples Therapy: ‘We Have So Many Ups and Downs’
Making it work. Nikki Bella revealed that she and fiancè Artem Chigvintsev plan to go to couples therapy following his stint on season 29 of Dancing With the Stars. “It’s hard. We have so many ups and downs,” the longtime Total Bellas star told Us Weekly. “It’s been so difficult on our relationship because I need so much from him, but he’s, like, torn between his job that requires so much from him and then us at home.”
Ultimately, Nikki, 36, ended up telling Artem, 38, that she needed “more attention” from him. “That is something we’ve worked on, and that’s gotten better,” the Incomparable coauthor assured. “Artem and I have great communication, but it’s been lacking, but that’s something that we’ve been so strong about in our relationship [in the past].”
Thankfully, the soon-to-be husband and wife, who got engaged in November 2019 and welcomed son Matteo in July 2020, are willing to address their growing pains head-on. “We’re going to start classes as a couple because we’ve realized that we both feel like we’re not listening to each other,” Nikki explained, noting the sessions will be with their trusted life coach. “We finally both just said, like, ‘We need to bring someone in to help us so we don’t get [back] into that place.’”
Prior to opening up to Artem, Nikki had a difficult time expressing her emotions, especially in regard to her postpartum depression. Thankfully, her twin sister, Brie Bella, was willing to step in. “She had to come to Artem and be like, ‘Nicole isn’t doing well, and she’s hiding a lot from you,’” John Cena‘s ex recalled.
With counseling on the horizon, Nikki and Artem seem stronger than ever — and of course, they’re enjoying every minute of raising 3-month-old Matteo. “It’s like I see the moon in his eyes,” the proud mom gushed during a November 4 episode of “The Bellas Podcast.”
Be sure to catch new episodes of Total Bellas on E! on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
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