After 16 years with WWE, the sisters known professionally as The Bella Twins announced they are leaving the wrestling entertainment company — and going back to their real names Brie and Nikki Garcia.
“Today we are officially out of the Garcia Twins, Brie and Nikki Garcia,” Nikki said Tuesday on a new episode of her SiriusXM show, now called “The Nikki and Brie Show.” The twin sisters signed with WWE in 2007 and made their debut that year as The Bella Twins.
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According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, WWE currently owns the trademark on “The Bella Twins”. The Bella Twins’ YouTube channel, which at one point had over 3.5 million subscribers, is no longer available on the video platform. WWE reps declined to comment on the sisters’ departure.
On Tuesday’s episode of “The Nikki and Brie Show,” Nikki admitted that giving up the Bella twins’ identity was a difficult decision, but felt the sisters are focused on a “new chapter” as moms, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs. It’s time to do it. , podcast host and executive producer. She also noted that she will turn 40 later this year (her birthday is November 21). According to Nikki, when their WWE contracts came up for renewal, they both “just knew it was time to move on to this next chapter,” per PeopleWho first reported the news.
Last week, Amazon Studios announced “Twin Love,” a new dating competition series hosted by Brie and Nikki, The show from ITV Entertainment is set to premiere this summer on Prime Video as well as Amazon Freevee in the US and UK. According to the show’s official description, “‘Twin Love’ is a social dating experiment that explores the love lives of identical twins. Ten sets of twins will be divided and placed into two homes of ‘same’ castes”. , where they will embark on a unique and compelling search for love.
The Bella Twins’ wrestling career “began with a bit of deception, as the two identical twins would switch places during Brie’s matches to ensure she won,” their official WWE bio reads. “But even after their alibi was discovered, the sisters proved themselves to be fierce competitors.”
In April 2011, Brie was the first woman to hold a WWE title, winning the Divas Championship. Nikki followed with a championship win of her own, then added a second reign which saw her become the longest reigning Divas Champion in WWE history.
Among other TV credits, Nikki appeared on season 25 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2017. The two star in the reality show E! Bellas,” which aired from 2016-21.
Nikki and Brie Garcia have both been repped by WME. SiriusXM’s Stitcher inked a deal for “The Bellas Podcast” to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. Brie and Nikki Garcia produce the show with the help of Stitcher.
separately, Vince McMahon returns to WWE earlier this year — after leaving the company last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct — and has been actively seeking a buyer,
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