“Of Course It Was Awkward” — Nikki Bella Gets Honest About Seeing John Cena Again After All These Years
The WWE star ran into her ex-fiancé backstage and finally met his wife — here’s what really happened For years, fans have wondered what it would be like when Nikki Bella and John Cena crossed paths again. After a very public breakup in 2018, a wedding that never happened, and years of silence between them, that moment finally came.
And according to Bella? It was exactly as awkward as you’d expect.
The former WWE Divas Champion recently opened up about reuniting with Cena backstage during his retirement tour, giving fans a rare glimpse into how two people with so much history navigate running into each other years later.
Speaking on Logan Paul’s IMPAULSIVE podcast, Bella didn’t sugarcoat that first encounter. When Paul admitted he assumed it might have been uncomfortable, Bella nodded in agreement.
“That first time, we hadn’t seen each other in so many years, so you just didn’t know what to expect,” she shared. “So yeah, it was awkward.”
But what happened next surprised even her.
The ice broke in a way she didn’t anticipate — by finally meeting Cena’s wife, Shay Shariat Zadeh. The two women connected, and something shifted. What started as an uncomfortable run-in turned into something unexpectedly normal.
“After that, every time I’d see them at TV, I’d talk to them both,” Bella revealed. “It became normal. But that first time? For sure.”
A Lot Has Changed
When Bella and Cena ended their engagement in 2018, it played out in front of millions. She’s been open about how painful that period was — reliving their breakup on reality TV while still working in the same industry as her ex made moving on difficult.
But life has taken them in different directions since then.
Cena married Shariat Zadeh in 2020. Bella became a mother and later went through her own difficult divorce from Artem Chigvintsev. With time and distance, whatever awkwardness existed has slowly faded into something she now describes as mutual respect.
Setting the Record Straight
Bella also addressed speculation that she skipped Cena’s final match out of lingering bitterness. The rumor mill went into overdrive when fans noticed she wasn’t in attendance for such a historic moment.
Her response was simple: she wasn’t invited.
Instead, she spent that time at a Philadelphia Flyers game and cheered for the Eagles the next day — living her life, not stewing over the past.
For two people whose relationship played out in headlines and reality TV confessionals, it seems the chapter has finally closed on good terms. No drama. No bitterness. Just two exes who’ve moved on, shared a slightly awkward moment, and somehow came out the other side as… normal.
