History of Nikki Bella in Timeline
Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, known as Nikki Bella (now Nikki Garcia), is an American professional wrestler and television personality signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand. She gained prominence as one-half of The Bella Twins alongside her twin sister Brie Bella, becoming a two-time WWE Divas Champion. Beyond wrestling, Nikki has ventured into reality television, notably starring in 'Total Divas' and 'Total Bellas,' showcasing her personal life and career. She has also pursued entrepreneurial ventures and appeared in other entertainment projects, solidifying her status as a mainstream celebrity.
November 21, 1983: Nikki Bella's Birth
On November 21, 1983, Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, known as Nikki Bella, was born. She is an American professional wrestler and television personality signed to WWE.
2002: Graduation from Chaparral High School
In 2002, Nikki Bella graduated from Chaparral High School.
2006: Participation in WWE Diva Search and other appearances
In 2006, Nikki Bella and her sister participated in the "International Body Doubles twins search" and later the 2006 WWE Diva Search, without making the cut. They also appeared as the World Cup Twins for Budweiser.
September 15, 2007: In-ring debut in FCW
On September 15, 2007, Nicole and her twin Brie, known as The Bella Twins, made their in-ring debut at an FCW house show, defeating Nattie Neidhart and Krissy Vaine.
October 2007: Rivalry with Neidhart and Crawford
Throughout October 2007, Nikki Bella started a scripted rivalry with Nattie Neidhart and Victoria Crawford, competing in a series of matches against them as part of her on-screen persona with Brie, where they would switch places behind the referee's back.
December 2007: Managing Derrick Linkin
Starting in December 2007, Nikki Bella managed Derrick Linkin in FCW; however, the storyline was cut short when Linkin was released in January 2008.
January 2008: Derrick Linkin's Release
In January 2008, Derrick Linkin was released from FCW, cutting short Nikki Bella's storyline as his manager that began in December 2007.
April 2008: Neidhart's Call-up to WWE Roster
In April 2008, Nattie Neidhart was called up to the WWE roster, and Milena Roucka took her place in the feud between Nikki Bella, Brie, Neidhart and Crawford.
August 29, 2008: Brianna's Debut on SmackDown as Brie Bella
On August 29, 2008, Brianna debuted on SmackDown as Brie Bella, defeating Victoria, leading to a rivalry between Brie, Victoria, and Natalya.
2008: SmackDown Debut
In 2008, Nikki Bella made her debut for the SmackDown brand.
February 2009: On-screen relationship with The Colóns, Morrison, and The Miz
In February 2009, The Bella Twins developed an on-screen relationship with The Colóns (Carlito and Primo), and later with John Morrison and The Miz, leading to a rivalry between the teams for the twins' affection.
April 15, 2009: Drafted to Raw Brand
On April 15, 2009, The Bella Twins were drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 supplemental draft.
June 29, 2009: Traded to ECW Brand
On June 29, 2009, The Bella Twins were traded to the ECW brand.
January 4, 2010: WWE Divas Championship Tournament Loss
On January 4, 2010, Brie Bella participated in a tournament for the vacant WWE Divas Championship on Raw, but lost to Maryse in the first round after a switch resulted in Nikki being pinned.
June 2010: Feud with Jillian Hall
In June 2010, the Bella Twins began a feud with Jillian Hall, with Brie and Nikki taking turns defeating Hall, often switching places to gain an advantage.
2010: Mentoring on NXT and Storyline with Daniel Bryan
In 2010, the Bella Twins mentored Jamie on the all-female third season of NXT. They also began a storyline with Daniel Bryan, managing him and feuding over his affection.
January 2011: Turn to Villainous Characters
In January 2011, both Bella Twins turned into villainous characters after discovering Daniel Bryan kissing Gail Kim backstage, leading to attacks on Kim.
March 2012: Friction Between The Bellas
In March 2012, The Bellas began to show friction after both lost to AJ Lee in singles competition. This friction furthered due to differing opinions on Team Johnny versus Team Teddy at WrestleMania XXVIII.
May 1, 2012: Independent Wrestling Show Appearance
On May 1, 2012, The Bella Twins appeared at their first independent wrestling show in Newburgh, New York for Northeast Wrestling.
October 2012: Guest Appearance on Ridiculousness
In October 2012, The twins made a guest appearance on the MTV series Ridiculousness.
March 11, 2013: Return to WWE
On March 11, 2013, The Bella Twins returned to WWE in a backstage segment on Raw with Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow).
July 2013: Main Cast for Total Divas
In July 2013, Nikki and Brie became part of the main cast for the reality television show Total Divas.
April 6, 2014: Nikki Competing at WrestleMania XXX
On April 6, 2014, Nikki Bella competed in the 14-Diva "Vickie Guerrero Invitational match" for the Divas Championship at WrestleMania XXX, which was won by AJ Lee.
May 2014: Revelation of High School Marriage
In May 2014, Nikki revealed on Total Divas that she had married her high school sweetheart at the age of 20; the marriage was annulled three years later.
2014: Roles in Film and TV
In 2014, Nikki and Brie co-starred in the independent film Confessions of a Womanizer, and appeared in the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards where they presented the award for Best Female.
2014: Appearance in Trey Songz's Music Video
In 2014, The twins appeared in the music video for "Na Na" by Trey Songz.
February 22, 2015: Divas Championship Retained
On February 22, 2015, Nikki Bella retained her Divas Championship against Paige at Fastlane.
November 2015: Ranked No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Female 50
In November 2015, Nikki Bella was ranked No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Female 50.
December 2015: Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone
In December 2015, Nikki Bella was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone.
2015: Turning villainous
In 2015, Nikki Bella turned villainous for the first time since teaming with her sister Brie to attack Ronda Rousey, after defeating The Riott Squad in a rematch.
2015: The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! Voice Acting
In 2015, Nikki and Brie provided voices for the movie The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!.
April 3, 2016: WrestleMania 32 Appearance
On April 3, 2016, Nikki Bella made a brief appearance at the WrestleMania 32 event, celebrating with Brie after a 10-Diva tag team match victory.
August 21, 2016: SummerSlam Return
On August 21, 2016, Nikki Bella made a surprise return as a villain at SummerSlam, replacing Eva Marie and teaming with Natalya and Alexa Bliss, defeating Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Carmella.
October 5, 2016: Total Bellas Premiere
On October 5, 2016, Total Bellas, the spinoff show starring Nikki and Brie, premiered on E!.
November 21, 2016: Launch of The Bella Twins YouTube Channel
On November 21, 2016, Nikki and Brie launched their new YouTube channel, "The Bella Twins", featuring fashion, beauty, travel, fitness, relationship, and health videos.
2016: Teen Choice Award for Choice Female Athlete
In 2016, Nikki Bella won the award for Choice Female Athlete alongside her sister at the Teen Choice Awards.
March 2, 2017: Appearance in Lilly Singh's Video
On March 2, 2017, The Bella Twins appeared in YouTuber Lilly Singh's video "When Someone Tries to Steal Your BFF".
April 2, 2017: Engagement to John Cena
On April 2, 2017, Nikki became engaged to John Cena when he proposed to her after their mixed tag-team match at WrestleMania 33.
August 21, 2017: Launch of Belle Radici Wine Label
On August 21, 2017, Nikki and Brie launched their own wine label called Belle Radici in collaboration with Hill Family Estates and Gauge Branding.
October 30, 2017: Dancing with the Stars Elimination
On October 30, 2017, Nikki Bella was eliminated from the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars, where she was paired with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev.
November 1, 2017: Launch of Birdiebee Brand
On November 1, 2017, Nikki and Brie launched Birdiebee, a lifestyle intimates and activewear brand focused on empowering women.
2017: Feud with Natalya
In 2017, Nikki Bella continued a feud with Natalya, marked by attacks and matches, including one at Elimination Chamber that ended in a double count-out.
January 22, 2018: 25th Anniversary of Raw Appearance
On January 22, 2018, The Bella Twins appeared at the 25th Anniversary of Raw.
April 2, 2018: YouTube Gold Creator Award
On April 2, 2018, The Bella Twins revealed that they were awarded the YouTube Gold Creator Award for reaching 1 million subscribers on their channel.
April 15, 2018: Engagement Called Off
On April 15, 2018, Nikki and John Cena called off their engagement and canceled their wedding.
May 5, 2018: Wedding Cancellation Date
May 5, 2018, was the planned wedding date for Nikki Bella and John Cena before their engagement was called off.
May 23, 2018: American Ninja Warrior Appearance
On May 23, 2018, Bella appeared in the celebrity edition of American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs Ninja.
2018: Singles Match Since 2018
Since 2018, Nikki defeated Chelsea Green in a singles match on raw, after having announced on the July 7 episode of Raw that she would enter the Evolution Battle Royal for a women's world championship match at Clash in Paris.
January 2019: Dating Artem Chigvintsev
In January 2019, Nikki Bella began dating Artem Chigvintsev, her partner from Season 25 of Dancing with the Stars.
January 28, 2019: Launch of Nicole + Brizee Beauty Line
On January 28, 2019, Nikki and Brie launched Nicole + Brizee, a body and beauty line.
March 27, 2019: Launch of The Bellas Podcast
On March 27, 2019, Nikki and Brie launched their own podcast, The Bellas Podcast, with the Endeavour Audio network.
June 20, 2019: In-Ring Career Ends
On June 20, 2019, Nikki Bella ended her in-ring career after discovering a cyst on her brain.
January 3, 2020: Engagement to Artem Chigvintsev
On January 3, 2020, Nikki Bella became engaged to her Season 25 Dancing with the Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev.
February 21, 2020: WWE Hall of Fame Announcement
On the February 21, 2020, episode of SmackDown, the Bella Twins were announced as inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
March 2020: Release of Memoir 'Incomparable'
In March 2020, Nikki and Brie released their memoir Incomparable, which became a New York Times Best Seller.
July 31, 2020: Birth of First Child
On July 31, 2020, Nikki Bella gave birth to her first child, a son.
April 11, 2021: WrestleMania 37 Appearance and Face Turn
On April 11, 2021, during the second night of WrestleMania 37, Nikki Bella, along with Brie, attacked Bayley, turning face once again.
2021: WWE Hall of Fame Induction
In 2021, Nikki Bella and her sister Brie were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as The Bella Twins.
2021: New Business Ventures
In 2021, Nikki and Brie launched another wine label called Bonita Bonita Wine and their own baby gear collection in partnership with Colugo.
2021: Relaunch of The Bellas Podcast
In 2021, The Bellas Podcast was relaunched after being acquired by Stitcher, a subsidiary of Sirius XM.
January 7, 2022: SmackDown Appearance
On January 7, 2022, Nikki Bella participated in the women's Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble, marking the final WWE match for both sisters at the time.
February 21, 2022: Premiere of America's Got Talent: Extreme
On February 21, 2022, Nikki appeared on America's Got Talent: Extreme as a judge, alongside Simon Cowell and Travis Pastrana.
March 14, 2022: Conclusion of America's Got Talent: Extreme
On March 14, 2022, Nikki's stint as judge on America's Got Talent: Extreme concluded.
August 26, 2022: Marriage to Artem Chigvintsev
On August 26, 2022, Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev were married.
October 19, 2022: Hosting Barmageddon
On October 19, 2022, Nikki joined Blake Shelton's bar-inspired game show named Barmageddon, serving as the host.
March 2, 2023: Renewal of Barmageddon for Second Season
On March 2, 2023, Barmageddon, the game show hosted by Nikki Bella, was renewed for a second season.
March 14, 2023: Departure from WWE
On March 14, 2023, Nikki and Brie announced on their podcast, The Nikki & Brie Show, that they mutually agreed with WWE to not renew their contracts and reintroduced themselves as The Garcia Twins.
November 2023: Hosting Twin Love
In November 2023, Nikki and Brie hosted the Amazon-produced dating game show, Twin Love.
2023: Contract Expiration and Return to Garcia Name
In 2023, Nikki Bella's contract with WWE expired, and she and Brie retired the "Bella" surname, returning to their legal maiden name of "Garcia" professionally as The Garcia Twins.
June 5, 2024: Competitor on The Traitors Season 3
On June 5, 2024, Nikki was named as one of the competitors on the third season of The Traitors, a reality competition series on Peacock.
August 29, 2024: Artem Chigvintsev's Arrest
On August 29, 2024, Artem Chigvintsev was arrested and booked into Napa County Jail on a felony domestic violence charge, involving inflicting corporal injury on a spouse. Nikki Bella did not publicly comment on the incident, with her representative calling it a private matter.
September 11, 2024: Divorce Filing
On September 11, 2024, almost two weeks after Chigvintsev's arrest, Nikki Bella filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking legal and physical custody of their child, while also allowing Chigvintsev visitation rights. Both were granted restraining orders against each other. Ultimately, the parents agreed to share joint custody.
February 1, 2025: Return at Royal Rumble 2025
On February 1, 2025, Nikki Bella made a surprise return to WWE as the final entrant in the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble match.
July 28, 2025: Injury on Raw
On July 28, 2025, Nikki Bella suffered an injury on Raw during an eight-woman tag team match while battling Piper Niven.
August 1, 2025: Injury Revelation
On August 1, 2025, Nikki Bella revealed on her and her sister's podcast show Nikki and Brie, that she suffered an injury on the July 28, 2025, episode of Raw while battling Piper Niven during an eight-woman tag team match.
2025: Return to WWE at Royal Rumble
In 2025, Nikki Bella reverted to the Bella name upon returning to WWE at that year's Royal Rumble event.
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