Nikki Bella is well into the latest chapter of her life alongside her husband Artem Chigvintsev, and fans will soon get a front-row seat to what the lead-up was like thanks to Nikki Bella Says I Do. The presumably limited series chronicles the journey Bella took to her eventual marriage to Chigvintsev and how her past impacted it. Bella had raised some eyebrows among those in her family for wearing the gown she'd originally picked out during her engagement to ex-fiancé and WWE superstar John Cena, but she had a great and understandable reason for keeping it as an option.
John Cena and Nikki Bella haven't been an item in years, but the former wrestler decided to wear a dress she originally bought during their time together for her marriage to Artem Chigvintsev. Bella talked about the moment she first saw the dress during an interview with US Magazine and explained why she ultimatdely decided on using it to wed a completely different man, saying:
I had the moment with that dress … when I saw it. It was all something that I dreamed of. Later: I went back and forth with that decision. For me, it [reflects] how I stand as a strong woman, I was like wait, why should I not wear what I love? Because of my past? It just didn’t make sense to me.
Nikki Bella wore the dress because she loved the dress, and that's all there was to it. Neither the end of her engagement to John Cena, nor the fact that she originally intended to wear it for their ceremony, were going to prevent her from tossing it aside in lieu of a less desired outfit. I'm not sure it's a decision that many others would've made, but Bella's logic in the situation almost makes it seem like everyone who's questioning it are the weird ones.
Members of Nikki Bella's family raised an eyebrow at the decision, which is a totally practical reaction, but the WWE Hall of Famer said her sister Brie had her back, as did her now-husband and former Dancing With The Stars pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev. The dancer revealed why he was fine with Bella wearing the dress for their special occasion, and he didn't expect others to really care either:
I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal for people to react how I reacted … I think [if there’s] an issue with it, they’re bringing some other energy into our happiness.
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella are right. If the dress' origin story didn't bother them, then why is it a bad thing that they saved some time and money and gave the dress the spotlight for their ceremony? Bella did joke that it wasn't necessarily a cost-saving measure, however, as she ended up wearing four different outfits on the big day. Given that context, it really does feel like an insignificant moment with other dresses in play.
Of course, wrestling fans and the world at large will always think about Nikki Bella's breakup with John Cena just because of the high-profile nature of it all. Cena famously proposed to Bella at WrestleMania 33, but only a year later, the two called off the engagement entirely. Though their breakup was a shocker, John Cena and Nikki Bella have remained amicable over the years. In fact, Bella even thanked Cena during her WWE Hall of Fame speech for all the help he gave her during her wrestling career.
Nikki Bella is happy as can be in her marriage with Artem Chigvinstev, with John Cena having gotten married himself. Cena married Shay Shariatzadeh in a private ceremony back in 2020, and the couple is still together today. I can't imagine either pair will be quick to queue up WrestleMania 33 (easy to do with a Peacock Premium subscription), but it does seem like all parties get along well enough in the public eye to prevent any speculation about the drama between them.
Nikki Bella Says I Do airs on E! on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see the "total diva" in yet another exciting reality series and for more details about her journey down the aisle with Artem Chigvinstev.
