Nikki Bella Breaks Silence Following John Cena Split

Nikki Bella is breaking her silence.

On Saturday, April 21, 2018, the WWE star, whose real name is Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, took to social media to share inspirational messages with her fans amid her recent split from ex-fiancé John Cena.

"Courage is the power to let go of the familiar," read a text-post on Instagram, which she captioned with a yellow heart emoji. Just prior to this, Bella, who was spotted for the first time without her engagement ring this weekend, had posted a snapshot of herself on the beach. Paired with a blue heart emoji, she wrote in the caption, "'For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It's always our self we find in the sea.'"

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Bella, 34, and Cena, 40, announced that they were calling it quits on Sunday, April 15 — just three weeks before their wedding. The pair, who got engaged at WrestleMania 33 in April 2017, had been together for six years and had documented their longtime romance on E!'s Total Divas and Total Bellas.

"While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another," they released in a joint statement at the time to Us Weekly. "We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives."

After going public with their breakup, Cena took to social media with a series of posts referencing the end of their relationship. "Hardship, loss, and humility are extremely difficult waters to navigate," one tweet read. "But perseverance thru them builds a strength to withstand anything life throws your way."

While the former couple have yet to share why they decided to part ways, an Us Weekly source claimed that Bella was the one to initiate the split, saying that while "John is a mess," she's not exactly "devastated." As the insider explained, "She's in a place where she's just exhausted by some of the things going on in the relationship. John is the love of her life [and] she adores him. They still speak. It's just very hard. But right now, she has to focus on herself." 

Meanwhile, an Entertainment Tonight insider recently claimed that they broke up over one major issue: the decision to start a family. "Nikki has always dreamt of having a family of her own and John does not want children and that was the main cause of their break up," the source said, calling the whole situation "heartbreaking." The insider added, "They had to split in order to give each other the life they both wanted." 

Around the time this report circulated, Cena had tweeted, "Sometimes we must bare the burden of shame and judgement to protect and give to the ones we love. #RiseAboveHate."