Following the news of John Cena and Nikki Bella‘s split mere weeks before their wedding, some WWE fans wondered why Cena proposed in the first place when he had been adamant about not re-marrying and not having kids. But it turns out Bella may have had reason to believe he had changed his thinking when she accepted his proposal.
A recent report from PEOPLE shows that Cena may have “convinced” Bella he was a changed man.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“When [Cena] proposed, he convinced [Bella] that he was a changed man. And if he can change his mind about never wanting to get married, why wouldn’t he change his mind about not wanting kids?” a source told PEOPLE.
“They have had an on and off relationship for years. It’s no secret that they didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, but, when you’re in love, you turn a blind eye. And that’s what Nikki did,” the source said.
Adding, “When Nikki changed her stance about wanting kids, everyone knew that wasn’t her. You can’t take motherhood away from a woman.”
The professional wrestlers announced the end of their six-year romance Sunday evening, with an insider saying Bella was the one who pulled the plug.
“After much contemplation and 6 years of being together Nikki Bella and John Cena announced today their decision to separate as a couple,” the statement reads. “While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another. We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives.”
“John acted more and more like he was doing her a favor by somehow conceding to go ahead and marry her,” a source previously told PEOPLE. “[Nikki] doesn’t need a pity proposal, a pity wedding, a pity husband. She’s a phenomenal, tremendous woman.”
The two were reportedly scheduled to marry in a May 5 destination wedding. Their relationship has been documented on their reality shows Total Divas and Total Bellas. In a sneak peek for the third season of Total Bellas, the two seemed to be reconsidering their long-awaited wedding.
In the preview, the pro wrestlers have a tearful conversation about Bella’s desire to have children, even though Cena has been open about not wanting to have kids in the past.
“I would never force you not to be a mom,” Cena tells his fiancée.
“I thought I could really sacrifice that and I just can’t,” Bella responds.
“I’m not sure we should go through with this,” Cena tells her.
While Cena has addressed the breakup, Bella remains mum on social media aside from the initial announcement. In a surprising move, WWE addressed the split Monday afternoon by publishing a story with the announcement to WWE.com.
While the company hasn’t held back on posting stories of engagements, weddings, pregnancy announcements and child birth’s of its talent, break-ups are usually not reported on.
However, given that Cena proposed to Bella in the middle of the ring during WrestleMania 33 last year and that their relationship was the subject of multiple storylines, it’s possible the company felt addressing the split was unavoidable.
