John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship ended seven years ago, but new claims are challenging the long-standing narrative of their split. While Total Bellas showed Bella calling off their wedding in 2018, former WWE star Jonathan Coachman has now suggested that Cena was the one who actually pulled the plug.
Speaking on Behind The Turnbuckle: The Last Word podcast, Coachman, who traveled extensively with Cena, claimed the 16-time world champion had no real intention of going through with the wedding.
“I’ve always said I traveled with Cena for a while, I would say. And I’ve told him this, I was honest, I said, ‘I cannot believe a) you make her sign a 62-page thing just to live in your house,’ and then he called off the wedding. I mean, there were guys that would cut off their left leg to marry Nikki Bella. [Didn’t she call it off?] No, no, no, no, no. [I don’t know, I watched Total Bellas.] Yeah, Total Bellas did tell the story… He called it off. It was never gonna happen. It was never gonna happen,” he said.
Back in 2018, Ringside News covered Bella’s initial breakup with Cena, where she revealed in an interview that their split was primarily due to their differences over having children. At the time, Bella explained that she had accepted Cena’s stance on not wanting kids, but as their wedding approached, she had a change of heart.
“I called my wedding off a few months ago and that’s pretty much what she’s talking about [Brie]. I think what people don’t tell you about wedding planning is that it makes you face the rest of your life because you are about to commit permanently forever. As I was starting to go through this process, ‘Oh, wait, I’m not going to be a mom’ and I promised him that I would never argue about it or bring it up. When I make those promises, I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s it.’ I won’t talk about it or discuss it and so I started to just get this anxiety but instead of just like going a different way — one day I just woke up and I go ‘I think I’m okay with being by myself’ and that’s it. So I told him, ‘Look, I’m not going to beg you and I get it fully. You deserve to be with someone that doesn’t want to have kids but I want it and I just need to end this.’ Oh yeah, try to find it and he was just like, ‘WHAT?’ So we went our separate ways.”
Bella later disclosed that Cena had a change of heart and was willing to have children with her in an attempt to save their relationship.
“We had a flight in Napa that morning and we literally had camera crews and our wedding planners. Everyone to set up our whole for like to make all our decisions and I told him, ‘You do not have to have the cameras film this’ and he was like, ‘No, I want it.’ It hurt me so much to see him so upset and then having ever because he’s such a private person having everyone watch. That like killed me for him because he’s an amazing man and that’s why I wanted — I was like we both deserve to be happy. What we want. So we both then went our separate ways. He literally got on a flight to Tampa and I drove to San Francisco and I was waiting on a flight for like 5 hours to get back to San Diego. I was like, ‘I’ll have my stuff out in 30 days.’ It was so tough but then John, which you will actually see on Total Bellas, but then he flew and was like — it took him four or five days, but he was like, ‘I can’t live without us girl. So, I have to give her these things.’ When he came to me that was the last thing I was expecting, like when he was willing to be a dad. I was like, ‘Did you say willing/not willing? Because I’ve heard ‘not’ the whole relationship. I’m confused.’ And he’s like ‘I’m willing’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t even know what to say.’ He started crying and I was like, ‘Um, I’m sorry I just feel numb right now’ and I felt numb for a week. I even had to go to my therapist to be like, ‘I think I’m still numb’ and she’s like ‘you definitely are.’ And I’m like ‘Okay.’”
This revelation comes at a time when both Cena and Bella made their in-ring comebacks at the 2025 Royal Rumble. Bella made a surprise return at number 30 in the Women’s Royal Rumble but was eliminated in under three minutes by Nia Jax. Meanwhile, Cena entered at number 23 in the Men’s Rumble, lasting over 30 minutes before Jey Uso tossed him out as the final elimination.
Cena isn’t calling it quits just yet. During the post-show press conference, he announced that he would be entering the Men’s Elimination Chamber match in February, making it clear that he intends to main-event WrestleMania 41 and capture his record-breaking 17th world championship before his farewell tour ends.
Bella, on the other hand, has remained focused on her personal life following her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev. She recently opened up about her split, calling it a “shocking” experience but affirming that she is now feeling “stronger” and excited for a fresh start. While she has made it clear she won’t be walking down the aisle again, she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of finding love in the future.
With Cena preparing for his final WrestleMania and Bella stepping back into the ring, fans are left wondering—will Nikki Bella make a full-time return to WWE in 2025? And do you believe Coachman’s claim that Cena was the one who ended their relationship? Share your thoughts below!