John Cena's Ex Nikki Bella Says She Wasn't Invited to His Last WWE Match

The WWE world never runs out of drama, even in real life. John Cena's final WWE match was one of the most talked-about moments in professional wrestling history, and fans were glued to the drama both inside and outside the ring. But one rumour that has got a lot of attention is about his former fiancée and fellow WWE star, Nikki Bella.

The two were once one of wrestling's most famous couples, engaged after a highly publicised relationship that went on for years, so it was perhaps inevitable that fans expected Bella to be at Cena's farewell. That did not happen, though, and wrestling fans soon started talking about why she was absent. In response, Bella has made it clear that the situation was misunderstood by many and revealed clearly why she was not there.

The Story Behind the Absence

Nikki Bella recently took down all the rumours about her not attending John Cena's final match in WWE, which took place on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night's Main Event. She spoke candidly about the situation on the Impaulsive podcast hosted by Logan Paul, saying that she was not invited to the match and did not refuse an invitation, as some fans had suggested.

Instead, she was attending a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game that evening ahead of a Philadelphia Eagles American football game the next day, which is why she was in the city. Bella explained that she was sad about Cena's retirement but did not feel especially emotional about the match itself. She also made it clear that people were mistaken in believing WWE had reached out to her to attend before she supposedly declined the offer. Her presence at the game, she said, was misinterpreted as a deliberate snub when in reality she simply had other plans and no standing invitation to the much-publicised match.

Also, beyond the question of the invitation, Bella also touched on the awkwardness of the first time the pair were back backstage together after years apart. According to her comments, it was initially strange given their history, but it soon settled, and they were able to interact normally. She even mentioned meeting Cena's wife during that time and said their interactions became comfortable once the initial surprise had passed.

Nikki Bella and John Cena: The Relationship and Life After

Now, to understand why Bella's absence from Cena's last match has been such a talking point, it helps to revisit their relationship. The two began dating around 2012 and quickly became one of WWE's most talked-about couples, often featured on the reality show Total Bellas alongside Bella's twin sister.

Their relationship culminated in Cena's proposal for marriage at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, which Nikki accepted at the time. However, the engagement was called off in 2018, about a year later, due to fundamental differences in their life goals, as per reports. Bella wanted children, while Cena had made it clear that parenthood was not part of his plans at that stage in life. That disagreement weighed heavily on their relationship and ultimately led to their separation.

After the breakup with Cena, both moved on to different people in their love lives. Bella began a relationship with Dancing With the Stars professional Artem Chigvintsev, marrying him in 2022 and welcoming a son, Matteo. That union, however, ended in divorce in 2024 following highly publicised legal issues involving allegations of domestic violence, which were later resolved with joint custody arrangements.

Meanwhile, Cena has built a life outside WWE and married Shay Shariatzadeh in 2020. Their relationship has been less public than his time with Bella, and they have maintained a happy private life together away from the wrestling world. Cena is now working full-time in Hollywood.