Nikki Bella’s mother, Kathy Laurinaitis, learned about the star’s past sexual assaults with “the rest of the world.”
The Total Bellas star, 36, wrote about her experience in her new memoir, Incomparable, that she wrote with twin sister Brie Bella.
“I was very scared and nervous for the book to come out. You guys, I didn’t even tell my mom those two rape stories,” Nikki said on “The Bellas Podcast” on Wednesday, May 13. “The night before May 5th, when the book dropped, I went and put a book in my mom’s mailbox with two bottles of wine. I was like, ‘You’re gonna need this.’”
The former Dancing With the Stars contestant revealed that the assaults occurred when she was in high school. On Wednesday, Nikki then shared why she chose to conceal the information from her mom at the time.
“My mom was going through a terrible divorce, she just had started her own company, she was trying to keep that afloat, also raise three kids,” she explained. “When these things happened to me, I just felt like, ‘Why am I going to burden her with this?’”
Nikki admitted that she initially blamed herself for the attacks and that she “fell into such a deep depression” thereafter. She ultimately chose to speak out about her experience because she wanted fans who’ve encountered a similar experience in the past to realize that they aren’t alone. “We didn’t do anything wrong,” she added.
The Total Divas alum candidly addressed various personal details about her life throughout Incomparable, including her former relationship with John Cena. The exes began dating in 2012 and got engaged in 2017, but they called off their engagement the following year. Nikki and the Blockers actor, 43, reconciled shortly after until splitting for good in July 2018.
In March, Nikki confirmed that Cena had final say on all chapters that involved him. “Because of contracts I signed, he had editing rights,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “So he’s read his chapter. He edited it. Anything that I do with him has to go through approval through him.”
Nikki is now engaged to Artem Chigvintsev and they announced in January that they are expecting their first child together. Cena, for his part, began dating Shay Shariatzadeh early last year.
Nikki and Brie’s book, Incomparable, is now available wherever books are sold.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
