Nikki Bella Just Thanked Her Ex John Cena. Here's Why

Nikki Bella accepted a huge honor this week alongside her twin sister Brie Bella and she wasn't afraid to thank all of the people who helped her accomplish the goal, including her former fiancé, John Cena. 

Nikki and John first began dating back in 2012 and moved in together the following year as they both continued to focus on their professional wrestling careers (via Insider). In 2017, The Expendables star got down on one knee and popped the question to Nikki in the ring at Wrestlemania 33 as fans cheered in the background. However, the wrestler-turner-actor continued to reveal that he didn't want to have children and which was a problem for his future wife at the time. 

In an April 2016 interview with Rolling Stone (via Elite Daily), he explained, "I know I cannot handle raising a child...I don't have the time. And just because everyone else is happy with children doesn't mean that's how I have to live. I've been upfront about this. I just have things I need to get done. It's not negotiable. "

In 2018 the couple stunned fans when they announced that they had called off their engagement. "While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for each other," they said in a joint statement to Us Weekly. Now, Nikki is revealing that she still has a lot of love for her ex by giving him a huge shoutout.

On March 31, 2021, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella were officially added to the WWE Hall of Fame (via People). The ceremony was broadcasted on NBC's streaming service, Peacock. The twins wore stunning red dresses as they accepted the honor. 

During Brie's speech, she thanked the other female wrestlers who "fought alongside" them to "revolutionize" women's wrestling. When it was Nikki's turn to talk, she thanked the male wrestlers that also helped them along the way, including her former boyfriend, John Cena. "And to John," she added, "thank you for teaching me a lot about this business and truly helping me find my fearless side."

As of writing, Nikki is engaged to her former Dancing with the Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev. The couple met when Nikki agreed appeared on the dance competition show in 2017. Although she and Artem met when she was still with John, the couple didn't begin dating until a year after their separation in 2019. Artem popped the question in November 2019 while the couple was vacationing in France. They announced the big news in early January 2020, per CNN. 

A few months later, the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Matteo, in July 2020. Following the birth of her son, Nikki told Us Weekly that John reached out to congratulate her on becoming a mother, calling the conversation "short and sweet," and displaying their mutual respect for each other.