Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace was born on November 21, 1983, in San Diego, California, exactly 16 minutes before her twin sister Brie. The daughters of Jon Garcia and Kathy Colace grew up on a farm in Scottsdale, Arizona, where both sisters developed competitive instincts through youth soccer. Nicole played at Chaparral High School and later attended Grossmont College in El Cajon, California, before the twins pursued entertainment careers.
The Garcia-Colace twins moved to Los Angeles in their late teens, working as waitresses and models while auditioning for roles. In 2006, they appeared on the Fox reality show "Meet My Folks," and a year later, they were signed to WWE developmental contracts. Nicole adopted the ring name "Nikki Bella," while her sister became "Brie Bella" — a pairing that would define women's wrestling for over a decade.
Nikki and Brie made their WWE main roster debut on August 29, 2008, on SmackDown, initially performing as a tag team. The twins quickly became fan favorites, using their twin magic switcheroo tactic to confuse opponents and referees. This signature move, where one twin would secretly replace the other mid-match, became a staple of early Bella Twins programming.
Nikki Bella's first WWE Divas Championship reign began on November 23, 2014, at Survivor Series, where she defeated AJ Lee. That reign lasted 175 days, ending on April 26, 2015, at Extreme Rules when Naomi defeated her. Combined with her second reign of 126 days — which started on September 20, 2015, at Night of Champions against Charlotte Flair — Nikki held the title for a combined 301 days, surpassing Maryse's record for longest cumulative Divas Championship reign.
The second title run ended on April 3, 2016, at WrestleMania 32 in a triple-threat match against Charlotte and Becky Lynch. That WrestleMania weekend also marked the official retirement of the Divas Championship, replaced by the WWE Women's Championship. Nikki underwent neck surgery in January 2016 to fuse her C5 and C6 vertebrae, a procedure that sidelined her for eight months and contributed to her transition away from full-time competition.
In January 2020, WWE announced The Bella Twins as inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony, originally scheduled for April 2020, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held on April 6, 2021, at the WWE ThunderDome in St. Petersburg, Florida. Nikki and Brie were inducted alongside the nWo, The British Bulldog, JBL, and others in the Class of 2020/2021. Nikki's final in-ring appearance came at the 2022 Royal Rumble, and she officially departed WWE in March 2023.
Total Divas premiered on E! on July 28, 2013, with Nikki and Brie as central cast members alongside Naomi, Natalya, and others. The show ran for nine seasons through 2019, documenting the personal and professional lives of WWE's female performers. Nikki's on-screen relationship with John Cena — the 16-time world champion — became a primary storyline, drawing millions of viewers to the series.
The spinoff Total Bellas launched on October 5, 2016, focusing exclusively on the Garcia-Colace family. The series ran six seasons through 2021, averaging between 500,000 and 1 million viewers per episode. Storylines covered Nikki's engagement to Cena (which ended in 2018 after six years together), her subsequent relationship with Dancing with the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev, and the birth of her son Matteo on July 31, 2020.
Nikki married Chigvintsev on August 26, 2022, in a ceremony in Paris, France. However, in August 2024, Chigvintsev was arrested on domestic violence charges in Napa, California. Nikki filed for divorce on September 4, 2024, and subsequently returned to using her birth surname Garcia rather than her married or ring name. The divorce proceedings have drawn significant media coverage.
Beyond wrestling and television, Nikki and Brie launched Birdiebee in 2017, an activewear and intimates brand sold direct-to-consumer online. The company's name derives from Brie's daughter Birdie, born in 2017. Birdiebee expanded into loungewear and basics, positioning itself in the competitive athleisure market alongside brands like Lululemon and Alo Yoga. Fans can check availability for their latest collections.
The sisters also entered the wine industry with Belle Radici, a Napa Valley wine label launched in partnership with Hill Family Estate. The brand produces a red blend, a cabernet sauvignon, and a rosé, retailing between $25 and $50 per bottle. Additionally, Nikki co-authored the memoir "Incomparable" with Brie, published by Dey Street Books on May 5, 2020, which debuted on The New York Times bestseller list.
Nikki's podcast, The Bellas Podcast (later renamed The Nikki & Brie Show), launched in 2019 and accumulated millions of downloads. The show covered wrestling, motherhood, relationships, and pop culture, often featuring WWE stars and celebrity guests. Nikki's social media presence remains substantial, with over 12 million Instagram followers as of 2024, making her one of the most-followed female wrestlers in history.
Nikki Garcia's post-WWE trajectory points toward continued media and business expansion. The ongoing divorce proceedings with Artem Chigvintsev will likely generate tabloid coverage through 2025. Her return to WWE programming remains possible — both Nikki and Brie have publicly expressed openness to one more run, potentially at a major event like WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. Birdiebee's expansion into retail partnerships could signal a shift from direct-to-consumer only. For followers of women's wrestling history, Nikki's legacy is tied to the broader "Divas Revolution" era that preceded the current women's evolution in WWE, making her a permanent figure in the sport's ongoing narrative.
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