Nikki and Brie Bella
One of the most memorable sources of speculation about the sisters’ relationship was their 2014 WWE storyline. Their rivalry eventually moved towards reconciliation, with Brie helping Nikki during a match at Survivor Series in 2014. In a 2022 interview with Extra, Nikki said that she and Brie had historically struggled to praise their accomplishments and celebrate their success. In a 2025 interview, Nikki and Brie discussed the possibility of returning to reality television, while making clear that they would maintain boundaries around their children. The couple became engaged in 2017, but their relationship ended in 2018 before they married. They wed in 2014 and share two children, Birdie and Buddy. The 2014 WWE rivalry was a fictional storyline, while subsequent references to relationships and family were personal experiences that should be taken in context.
Because they are twins working in the same industry, but their relationship has sometimes been the subject of comparisons and scrutiny. Because viewers had followed their relationship on television, their separation received extensive media coverage, partly. Because of her close relationship with her sister, brie was also mentioned in coverage.
WWE storylines have made them rivals, while reality television has revealed disagreements involving relationships, family responsibilities and career decisions.
Brie said she did not want to raise her family on reality television and valued having a degree of privacy. In a 2025 interview, she called communication “the crux of her relationship” with Danielson. Nikki and Brie Bella, more commonly known as Nikki and Brie Garcia, have spent most of their lives working together. Their combined adventures in the worlds of professional wrestling, television and business made them household names, even outside of the WWE fan base. The sisters have both often spoken about how they support each other through major personal and professional transitions, and their close relationship has been another constant in their public persona. Some of those moments were designed for entertainment, and others were based on real-life disputes the sisters have spoken about publicly. So to understand why their relationship has been a topic of public discussion at times, one has to understand the difference between scripted drama and real-life experiences. The public discussion around Nikki and Brie Bella’s relationship has developed over several years. Their professional partnership made them a recognisable wrestling duo, but their individual personalities, relationships and ambitions also became part of their public stories. The company presented Nikki and Brie as opponents after Nikki turned against Brie at SummerSlam. The angle included accusations of jealousy, selfishness and competition, with the storyline suggesting that the sisters had been rivals for years. The feud continued through several television appearances and matches. It also included a storyline in which Brie was made Nikki’s personal assistant after losing a match. Their joint career also led to comparisons between their achievements and their personal identities. WWE’s women’s wrestling era saw both sisters become major stars, although their paths were not always the same. Nikki became particularly associated with her long championship reign and individual wrestling opportunities, while Brie developed a public identity through her wrestling career, family life and marriage to Bryan Danielson. Their different priorities sometimes became part of television discussions, but those differences did not necessarily indicate hostility. The sisters have also spoken about how difficult it can be to recognise their own achievements. Brie described their journey as something they were proud to have built together. Reality television played a major role in shaping how audiences understood the sisters’ relationship. The programmes offered a more personal view of the twins, but they also placed private discussions in an entertainment format. Arguments that might otherwise have remained within the family became part of episodes watched and discussed by a large audience. The sisters themselves acknowledged that cameras sometimes captured difficult family moments they would have preferred to keep private. In a later interview, Brie explained that Total Divas showed more of the wrestlers’ personal lives and how they balanced their careers with relationships and other ambitions. Nikki described the programme as having a lighter, pop-culture-focused style compared with more documentary-driven wrestling programmes. The sisters have also become more protective of their children and private family lives. Beyond WWE, the sisters’ personal relationships have contributed to public interest in their lives. Their experiences have included high-profile romances, marriage, parenthood and difficult family circumstances. Since much of this has been discussed through interviews and reality television, audiences have sometimes interpreted personal differences as signs of tension between the twins. Nikki’s relationship with former WWE star John Cena became a major part of Total Divas and Total Bellas. The experience also became part of Nikki’s public journey as she reassessed what she wanted from a future relationship. Nikki later married professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev, with whom she shares a son, Matteo. Their relationship also appeared in the public eye, particularly through family updates and reality television. However, public support between siblings should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a wider family conflict. Bryan Danielson’s relationship with Brie has also been part of the sisters’ TV and interview discussions. It’s been the nature of their relationship, balancing family responsibilities with demanding careers in professional wrestling. Brie talked about how important communication is in her marriage and how important it is to have the same beliefs and priorities. She also talked about the challenge of balancing motherhood with the professional opportunities and different schedules that come with wrestling. The sisters’ wider family connections have also been highlighted through reality TV and interviews. There have been discussions with their parents and other relatives where differences in expectations, personal boundaries and family responsibilities have at times emerged. Disagreements of this sort are not uncommon in families. Particularly when relatives have differing opinions about relationships, parenting or personal choices. But the Bella Twins’ celebrity status has meant that some of these conversations have been discussed by audiences far beyond their immediate family circle. Despite the public scrutiny over their arguments and different life decisions, Nikki and Brie have continued to portray themselves as close sisters and professional supporters of each other. Their dual appearances, podcast conversations and references to potential WWE opportunities suggest their relationship has progressed beyond the realm of individual career changes. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Ultimately, the public feuds between Nikki and Brie Bella have been born from a combination of kayfabe wrestling storylines, unscripted reality television segments and real differences in their lives. Their experience suggests that sibling closeness can be conflictual and change in priorities, and still maintain its support network. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.