There’s nothing but good will between Nikki Bella and ex-fiance John Cena, despite their 2018 breakup after six public years as a couple. Even though she’s gone on to get engaged and have a baby boy with Dancing with the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev, 38, John and Nikki both are delighted that their lives apart from each other have taken them to such happy places. The 36-year-old former WWE star has revealed that pro-wrestler turned movie star John even reached out to her after the July 31 birth of her son Matteo.
“John and I will be tied forever. I get that, like, we had a public relationship on a reality show for six years,” Nikki told Us Weekly while promoting the new season of her E! show with twin sister Brie, Total Bellas. “All I’ve ever wanted was for him to be happy. So, it makes me happy when I see that and, like, him kicking butt in the movie world and all that stuff. I love that!” Like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson before him, John, 43, has parlayed his WWE stardom and hunk status into a successful movie star career.
Nikki revealed that she hadn’t spoken to her ex in quite some time. But when Brie gave birth to son Buddy on Aug. 1, just one day after Nikki delivered Matteo, John had to call and give the sisters his best wishes for their new arrivals. “So with the baby, he reached out to Brie and I both,” Nikki told the publication. “We haven’t had an individual conversation in gosh, I don’t know how long, but it was very short and sweet!”
Nikki’s desire for a family when John adamantly did not want children is ultimately what broke up their long relationship. The couple announced they were going their separate ways on Apr. 15, 2018, just a month before they were scheduled to marry in a May 5, 2018 destination wedding. “While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another,” they told fans at the time.
Nikki went on to fall in love with her former DWTS pro partner Artem, and the two got engaged in Nov. 2019 while celebrating her birthday in France. John found love of his own with Vancouver, BC software project manager Shay Shariatzadeh, who he started dating in March 2019. The couple actually beat Nikki and Artem to the altar, marrying in a secret ceremony in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 12, 2020.