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The Bella Twins Announce They’re Leaving WWE, Will Use Their Real Names Nikki and Brie Garcia

The Bella Twins are Leaving WWE Will Use Their Real Name Garcia
Brie Bella and Nikki Bella. mpi099/MediaPunch/Shutterstock
The Bella Twins are Leaving WWE Will Use Their Real Name Garcia
Brie Bella and Nikki Bella. mpi099/MediaPunch/Shutterstock

The end of an era! Nikki and Brie Bella announced that they are leaving the WWE behind — as well as their stage names.

Related: WWE Babies! Athletes Who Have Started Families Over the Years

“Today we are officially from here on out, the Garcia Twins, Brie and Nikki Garcia,” Nikki, 39, said during the Tuesday, March 14, episode of their SiriusXM show. The listening experience, previously titled “The Bellas Podcast,” will be called “The Nikki & Brie Show” going forward.

The Nikki Bella Says I Do alum added that she and her sister, also 39, felt it was time to embrace a different side of their lives as they approach their 40th birthdays in November. “We’re mothers, we’re entrepreneurs, we’re executive producers, we’re hosting shows,” she continued. “When our contract came up with WWE, mutually we all knew we just needed to head into this new chapter.”

Brie, for her part, added: “I am so excited to close the chapter on Brie Bella, put that book to the side and open up a new one — and see what Brie Garcia is gonna do next.”

Related: Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev: A Timeline of Their Relationship

The Arizona natives made their WWE debuts in 2007, with Brie winning the Divas Championship in 2011. Nikki took the title that same year and again in 2014. After her second win, Nikki became the longest-reigning champion in Divas history. The twins were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020.

In 2014, Brie married fellow pro wrestler Daniel Bryan. The couple later welcomed daughter Birdie, now 5, and son Buddy, now 2.

Nikki, for her part, wed Artem Chigvintsev in August 2022. The duo first met when the athlete was paired with the dance pro, 40, for season 25 of Dancing With the Stars. In July 2020, they welcomed son Matteo, now 2.

Related: Nikki and Artem's Most Honest Relationship Quotes

Brie and Nikki’s sons were born less than 24 hours apart, and the sisters have said that their little ones act like twins too. “Even yesterday morning, I called [Nikki] and I’m like, ‘It was so weird, but he had an outburst at, like, 2 a.m. but went back to sleep, and she goes, ‘Brie, Matteo did too,'” Nikki exclusively told Us Weekly in March 2021. “They both went back to sleep, but they both had an outburst. They do that all the time, even with naps. It really trips us out. They have their own twintuition.”

Nikki joked that she thinks the boys are secretly communicating using walkie talkies, asking each other, “Should we mess with the moms?”

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