Nikki Garcia Opens Up About the Challenges of Dating Under the Spotlight

Nikki Garcia has opened up about the complexities of finding romance under the public gaze, amid whispers linking her to Philadelphia Eagles star Cooper DeJean.

Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly on Monday, March 9, the 42-year-old shared the whirlwind experience of reentering the dating scene following the finalization of her divorce from Artem Chigvinstev in 2024.

The WWE icon expressed that while there are times she feels “super confident,” there are also moments when she feels like “such a girl” as she maneuvers through her new romantic endeavors.

“Navigating dating in the public eye is challenging,” Nikki explained. “You can have a single date with someone, and suddenly the world assumes, ‘She’s with this person. They’ve been together forever.’” Her comments came as she was promoting her and her twin sister Brie Garcia’s much-anticipated return to the WWE ring for the WrestleMania Tag Team Championship in Las Vegas next month.

She humorously added, “Sometimes I wish I could just enjoy myself without everything being so serious.”

Following her split from Chivingstev, with whom she shares son Matteo, 5, Nikki has been romantically linked to DeJean, 23.

The pair were rumored to be dating in fall 2025 after Nikki was seen attending an Eagles game and posing in front of the NFL player’s locker. Nikki added fuel to the fire when she wore DeJean’s jersey number while supporting the Eagles in December 2025.

Salley Carson revealed she’s a big fan of sliding into people’s DMs — but her latest social media activity with Cooper DeJean might get her into trouble with Nikki Garcia. “I’m definitely talking to people. I’m just not seriously dating,” Carson, 31, said in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at her appearance on the “Not […]

A source exclusively told Us in January that Nikki and DeJean have “hung out,” adding that she was “having fun and enjoying being single.”

During a joint appearance with her sister at a Raw event in Philadelphia last month, fans started to yell “Coop,” which caught Nikki off guard.

She then teased her relationship with the defensive back, telling the crowd, “Can you blame a girl for having good taste? I mean, Pro Bowl, baby.”

DeJean, meanwhile, told People in February that it was “crazy” that Nikki gave him a shout-out in Philadelphia.

While Nikki didn’t name drop DeJean while speaking with Us on Monday, she confirmed that she is having “fun” in this phase of her life.

“I love being single. I really do,” Nikki said, noting that her son “fills my cup and then everyone else is [for] when I want to have a good time.”

When it comes to finding a longer-term relationship, Nikki also told Us that she’s thought about going on The Bachelorette — but she’d want to make a few changes to how the show runs before handing out any roses.

Nikki Garcia and John Cena called off their engagement in 2018, and nearly a decade later they had a very business-like reunion — handshake and all. Garcia, 41, recalled her first time seeing Cena, 48, in “seven, eight years” during the Wednesday, June 25, episode of Honestly Cavallari: The Podcast Tour, which filmed in March. […]

“What I would love is, like, an Emily in Paris can meet The Bachelorette, but not like 20 men,” Nikki explained of her dream dating show, adding that the men should be “in the same position” fame wise as her, so there isn’t anyone trying to chase “clout.”

Nikki added that she envisions her sister, Brie, and her girls to be involved so they can “all come together after things” and debrief.

She joked that the elimination ceremonies would have to be at “happy hour” or a “normal time, so we all could get beauty sleep.”

After Nikki said that she is “in the middle area,” so not ideal for The Bachelorette or for The Golden Bachelorette, Brie suggested there be a “millenial” version to make it more fun.

While the Garcia twins — and fans of The Bachelorette — wait for a possible millennial edition of the dating franchise, Nikki and Brie are preparing to get back in the wrestling ring for WWE’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania in Las Vegas.

“Let’s be honest, since the womb, we’ve been one of the greatest tag teams. But I do feel like, when you look at the history of the women’s division of tag teams, Nikki and I, the Bella Twins always stand out,” Brie told Us. “And for us, we never got to go for those championships. We started, we retired, we started to have babies.”

It looks like Nikki Garcia has been showing NFL star Cooper DeJean how to lay the smack down. The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, 22, performed a WWE-style celebration dance and even used Garcia’s ex-fiancé John Cena’s signature move, the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, on teammate Quinyon Mitchell in the run-up to their 29-18 victory over the Washington Commanders […]

Brie noted that after Nikki returned to wrestling a year ago, she got “the itch.” Now that the twins are in their 40s, Brie wants to “prove,” to herself and to her kids, “what mommy can do.”

“I also want to show all the women out there that, you know, we become moms, we lose ourselves at times, but you can always come back and find yourself,” Brie said of her inspiration to return to the ring.

Nikki agreed, saying it’s always been one of their dreams to be WWE Tag Team Championships. She told Us that after becoming a Hall of Famer, winning this championship with Brie would be the “cherry on top.”

WrestleMania 42 returns to Sin City on Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, at Allegiant Stadium.