There’s no bad blood between exes John Cena, 42, and Nikki Bella, 36 — especially when it comes to her recent engagement to Artem Chigvintsev, 37. “John is very happy for Nikki and her engagement,” a source tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “He is very happy that she has found someone that treats her so amazingly well. Nikki was an extremely important part of John’s life so it does remind him of what they had and he is also reminded of his proposal to her at Wrestlemania a few years ago but he also has thought that they have both grown from their relationship and they both have moved on.”
John and Nikki — who are both wrestling pros — had a high profile relationship for six years. The pair went on their first date in 2012, shortly after he divorced ex-wife Elizabeth Huberdeau. Just a year later, John and Nikki were living together in his Tampa Bay, FL home, which also included her signing a whopping 75 page agreement (“It’s like buying a handgun for home defense,” he later said of the document, referencing his earlier divorce). John then proposed to Nikki on April 2, 2015 after they tag teamed to beat a husband-and-wife duo in front of 75,000 people at Wrestlemania. Sadly, the couple never made it down the aisle and announced their shocking split in July 2018. “For John and I, the timing was off,” Nikki later revealed on her Total Bellas podcast.
“[Nikki and Artem’s] engagement just makes it all very official and real and that the past is now the past,” the source continues. “He knew it was going to happen at some point so instead of taking it in any weird way he is only hoping for the best for her and he only wants to send good vibes her way and hopes she gets everything she deserves with her life with Artem. He knows she deserves all the good fortune and love she is receiving so he is happy.” Though it’s only been 18 months since John and Nikki’s split, it definitely seems like the former couple are on good terms!
Since breaking up with Nikki, John has moved on with his gorgeous girlfriend Shay Shariatzadeh, 30, who he met while shooting Play With Fire in Vancouver, Canada. “John and Nikki are on great terms, he wants nothing but the best for her,” a second insider adds. “And it’s not a big shock or anything, John knows how happy she is with Artem and how much she wants to settle down so he was expecting this sooner or later. He will always cherish his memories with Nikki but he’s moved on too. John’s very happy with his girlfriend Shay so that makes it easier to accept Nikki moving on.”
Unlike his ex, Shay has no connections to the entertainment industry but is a product manager at Avigilon, a Motorola Solutions Company. The brunette beauty also holds an Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree from the prestigious University of British Columbia. The couple were spotted on several dates around Vancouver, and made their red carpet debut at the NYC premiere of Play With Fire on Oct. 26. While they appear to be keeping their romance fairly low profile, we would love to see more of these two in 2020!