Nikki Bella said the breakup was about more than John Cena’s hesitation over having children. She later described deeper relationship problems, years of putting her own needs second, and pressure around marriage timelines. Her first wedding cancellation and her eventual decision to end the relationship were connected, but not the same moment.
When did Nikki Bella and John Cena end their relationship?
On April 15, 2018, WWE reported that Bella and Cena had ended their engagement and six-year relationship. Their joint statement said they still had “a great deal of love and respect for one another” and asked for privacy. WWE reproduced the statement in its announcement.
The announcement came after the couple called off their wedding. Their subsequent public comments distinguish that initial cancellation from Bella’s later decision that she could not continue the relationship.
Was the disagreement about having children the reason?
It was part of the initial wedding-cancellation context. Contemporary coverage connected the cancellation largely to Cena’s hesitation about having children. But in a July 25, 2018 interview account, Bella said that even after he appeared ready to work on the relationship and his position had changed, she recognized that the problems went further: “I realized there were just such deeper problems.” Entertainment Tonight reported her explanation.
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So the children question helps explain the wedding cancellation, but Bella did not present it as the sole cause of the final breakup.
What reasons did Bella give for ending it?
She felt she had been putting herself second
Bella said she had spent a long time giving and sacrificing in the relationship. “We naturally just give and sacrifice and I’ve been doing it for a long time,” she said. She worried that if she stayed, she would put herself “on the back burner” again, and said she needed to focus on herself.
Pressure around marriage decisions affected her
Bella also described feeling pressured by deadlines and expectations around the relationship. “This has been my issue the whole time. It’s a pressure thing. Everything is a time limit,” she said. Her remarks point to difficulty making decisions under pressure, rather than a simple change of heart about one wedding date.
She felt exhausted and believed the relationship had reached its end
In coverage of the Total Bellas finale published July 26, 2018, Bella said she was exhausted and could not continue, even though she loved and cared about Cena. She said neither person was at fault: “It’s not his fault. It’s not my fault. We’ve had this amazing love story and it’s just come to an end.” Entertainment Tonight reported her comments about the finale.
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What did Total Bellas add to her explanation?
WWE’s recap of Season 3, Episode 3 described Bella’s reflection on the breakup as broader than the question of motherhood. It said she discussed people-pleasing, her public identity, and feeling that she had lost room for her own thoughts and desires. That is WWE’s account of the episode, not a clinical assessment; it adds context to Bella’s stated need to make space for herself. WWE’s episode recap covers that conversation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to understand the two turning points
- Wedding cancellation: Contemporary coverage tied it in large part to the disagreement about having children.
- Final breakup: Bella later said deeper problems remained, that she had been sacrificing for a long time, and that she needed to focus on herself.
These are Bella’s public explanations from 2018. She described the relationship as ending without assigning blame to either person.
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