When Nikki Bella popped up at a Philadelphia Eagles game over the weekend, it did not take long for social media to connect dots that, in her view, simply were not there.
A brief glimpse inside the Eagles‘ locker room and a few familiar faces in the background were enough to ignite rumors linking Bella to 22 year old defensive back Cooper DeJean, but Bella has now offered a candid response that reframes the entire narrative.
Bella, 42, attended Philadelphia‘s win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field and later shared clips from her trip on social media. Fans quickly noticed her standing near DeJean‘s locker, a detail that fueled speculation about a possible relationship between the WWE star and the Super Bowl winning rookie.
The buzz only intensified when DeJean was later spotted sitting ringside at a WWE show in Philadelphia, prompting playful commentary from wrestler Grayson Waller, who joked that the NFL player was there “because he wanted to see Bella.”
On the latest episode of her SiriusXM podcast with sister Brie Garcia, Bella addressed the rumors head on, offering a level of personal honesty that caught listeners off guard.
“It’s crazy because I actually haven’t been touched or done anything in so long,” Bella said. “It’s funny when people call me a whore when I actually haven’t had intimacy in a really long time, even think of kissing.”
She continued, “I haven’t even kissed someone in so long. It’s kind of crazy. I was thinking last night, ‘Do I know how to kiss?’ I hope I still do. I’m about to make out with my pillow to make sure I still got it.”
How a few moments turned into a viral storyline
The rumors gained traction quickly in part because of timing and optics. Bella has been open about navigating life after divorce, while DeJean is fresh off a breakout NFL season with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played a key role in the secondary during the team’s Super Bowl LIX run.
Fans also resurfaced an old photo of Bella and DeJean together from the Eagles‘ offseason training camp, further blurring the line between coincidence and conjecture.
Bella‘s personal life has long been part of the public conversation. She famously dated fellow WWE star John Cena for six years before their split in 2018, a relationship that played out extensively on reality television.
More recently, she married professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev in 2022. The couple share a son, Matteo, but Bella filed for divorce in September 2024.
Since stepping back from full time wrestling, Bella has remained a prominent figure in sports entertainment and media. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, starred in Total Bellas, and continues to host one of the industry’s most popular podcasts.
DeJean, by contrast, has largely avoided the celebrity spotlight. A former Unanimous All American at Iowa, he was selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft and quickly established himself as a reliable presence in Philadelphia‘s defense. His private life has remained mostly out of view since entering the league.
For now, Bella‘s message was clear. While fans may enjoy imagining the next athlete celebrity pairing, she says her current reality is far quieter, and far more personal, than the rumors suggest.
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