Does John Cena Still Have Feelings for Nikki Bella?
Many people thought John Cena and Nikki Bella would be together forever. While they had their fair share of problems, they were deeply invested in their relationship and always seemed to bounce back stronger. But in 2018, the wresting stars called it quits and went their separate ways.
Bella quickly moved on with and got engaged to professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. She announced the news in December 2019, leaving fans wondering how Cena feels about all of this. Does he still have feelings for her or has he moved past their relationship?
A quick recap of John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship
Cena and Bella began dating in 2012. A year later, they moved in together. But as their romance blossomed, the couple started having disagreements over their future. While Bella wanted to settle down and start a family, Cena reportedly did not. Bella told Us Weekly that she sought therapy over this and “prayed he would change his mind.”
Cena seemed to have a change of heart and proposed to Bella in 2017 at Wrestlemania. In April 2018, though, the pair announced that it had called off the wedding. A month later, they reconciled but broke up for good in July 2018.
“After I called off the engagement, we tried to work on our relationship to get back to where it was in order to move forward with our wedding,” Bella said in a statement shared with Us Weekly. “After much time and soul-searching alone, and together, we have decided to officially part ways. I had a beautiful and loving six-year relationship with a wonderful man. I have the utmost respect for John, but I know this is what’s best for me.”
Nikki Bella’s romance with Artem Chigvintsev
Bella and Chigvintsev met when they were partnered on Dancing with the Stars in 2017 and began dating some time after she split from Cena. The two went public with their romance in March 2019 with this sweet photo:
In December 2019, Bella announced that her beau had proposed to her in France a month earlier and that she’d said yes.
“Excited for 2020 and the next decade with you @theartemc ❤️ I said yes in France in November,” she captioned a series of romantic photos. “We have been trying to keep it a secret but really wanted to share our excitement for the New Year!”
Chigvintsev posted one of the same shots, captioning it, “You are the best thing that ever [happened] to me. So excited for what to come I love you more then anything and thank you for saying Yes.”
How John Cena feels about all of this
A source told HollywoodLife on Jan. 3 that Cena is “very happy” for his ex. And while the engagement “does remind him of what they had” and his proposal at Wrestlemania, he has moved on.
“[Nikki and Artem’s] engagement just makes it all very official and real and that the past is now the past,” the source continued. “[Cena] knew it was going to happen at some point so instead of taking it in any weird way he is only hoping for the best for her and he only wants to send good vibes her way and hopes she gets everything she deserves with her life with Artem. He knows she deserves all the good fortune and love she is receiving so he is happy.”
A second source echoed these comments saying, “John knows how happy she is with Artem and how much she wants to settle down so he was expecting this sooner or later. He will always cherish his memories with Nikki but he’s moved on too.”
Cena is in a relationship with actress Shay Shariatzadeh, and sources say that things are going extremely well for them.
“John’s very happy with his girlfriend Shay so that makes it easier to accept Nikki moving on,” the second source added.
Maybe wedding bells will be ringing for these two in the future, too. We’ll see.
