Nikki and Brie Bella made an announcement on Tuesday that they would depart from WWE and abandon their Bella identity. Instead, they will use their legal names Nikki and Brie Garcia as the Bella name was associated with WWE properties and had been trademarked by the organization.
The first hint surrounding their exit from WWE was dropped by the Garcia Twins when they removed the Bella name from their social media accounts. The likes of AEW star Saraya fully supported the Bellas in their decision.
While speaking during an episode of the Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki and Brie opened up about their decision to leave WWE. Nikki shared that it was a mutual decision made when their contract expired, and they felt it was time to move on to the next chapter in their lives.
She expressed gratitude for the past 17 years, noting how much she learned both inside and outside the ring. She also acknowledged that relationships, whether in business or love, sometimes come to an end, but that doesn’t mean it’s forever.
“When our contract came up with WWE, mutually, we all knew we needed to head into this next chapter. We are so grateful for the past 17 years. I have learned so much in and out of the ring. I have traveled all over the world, I have incredible fandom. It’s been amazing. This is part of relationships. Whether it’s business, love, this is relationships in life. Sometimes, you come to this part of your life where it’s like, ‘let’s go separate ways. It doesn’t mean it’s forever, but we just know that it’s right.’
I’m so beyond grateful for NIkki Bella. She empowered me, she inspired me, she truly made me become fearless. I found so much of what I had, through pain, childhood, or certain things that happened in my life, I lost that person. It took Nikki Bella to bring her out. I will always be forever grateful for her and look up to who that person was and still is and the road that she has paved and what she’s done for women and the youth and will continue to do, just as Nikki Garcia. I’m grateful for it. What’s so amazing about starting this new chapter and with our names, our roots, what was from birth. it’s super empowering because we’re betting on ourselves
That leap of faith, we are taking that leap of faith, we’re re-introducing ourselves after 17 years and it shows…you and I have gotten to the point where we know our worth. We know what we’ve done and we know where we want to go. We’re at the point in our lives where we don’t want to hear no. We’ve worked on that for 17 years and this marks, finally, we put that in action a lot, but now we’re doing it in a different way. Something like that is super exciting and it’s great for other people to know.”
Nikki Garcia
Brie added that the decision wasn’t due to anything negative, but rather something beautiful that had been years in the making. She expressed appreciation for the Brie Bella character and the name that had been a part of her for the past 16-17 years, acknowledging the positive impact it had on her life and many others.
She expressed excitement for the new journey ahead, closing the chapter on Brie Bella and opening a new one as Brie Garcia. Brie added that she and her sister want to be unfiltered and uncensored following their WWE departure.
It doesn’t mean that it’s bad either. When things like this happen, everyone wants to look for the negative. ‘What happened? It had to be something crazy.’ It wasn’t. It was actually something beautiful. [We] thought about it for awhile. This has been years coming. I want to thank Brie Bella.
The character, the name, pretty much that I’ve been the last 16-17 years. Thank you to that name because it caused a lot of change in my life and many lives. It did a lot of great things for me. It’s really fun to end that chapter. For everyone, at some point in your life, to do a new change, a new journey. I’m so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella, put that book to the side, and open up a new one, and see what Brie Garcia is going to do next.
It’s weird because I say ‘freeing,’ and a lot of people are like, ‘What does she mean?’ There’s something really freeing about going back to who you were. It’s like you can go back to being your unfiltered, uncensored self. I don’t have to apologize, it’s who I am. I always hate when I have to apologize or be like, ‘sorry, didn’t mean to do that,’ when I actually did.”
Brie Garcia
We will have to see what’s next for the Bella Twins, as WWE owns that name. Regardless, it is certain that the Garcia twins have a lot of things to do with their newfound freedom.
H/T to Fightful
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