John Cena Posts R. Lee Ermey Tribute After Nikki Bella Announces Split

John Cena is mourning more than the death of his own relationship with Nikki Bella.

After Bella announced that the two had called off their wedding and relationship after six years together Sunday afternoon, Cena posted a photo of R. Lee Ermey in the movie Full Metal Jacket on his Instagram.

Ermey passed away Sunday after a bout of pneumonia at the age of 74, his representatives announced earlier in the day.

The couple, who got engaged at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, confirmed their split on Bella’s social media Sunday.

“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 on Bella’s Twitter and Instagram read. “‘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.’”

Many fans thought it was odd of Cena to post a tribute to the late actor so soon after the tragic relationship news broke, but the wrestler had posted something most appropriate for the occasion earlier in the day, sharing a Walt Whitman quote without comment on social media.

“We were together. I forget the rest,” Cena posted on Instagram without a caption.

The end of the couple’s relationship appears to be teased on the trailer for Bella’s reality show, Total Bellas.

In the trailer, Bella can be heard asking, “So we really want to call this off?”

But soon after the trailer was released in March, Cena confirmed that the wedding was still on during an appearance on the TODAY Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.

Cena said, “I think in relationships, you have highs and lows, and that was an extreme low.”

He continued, “You have two choices. You either jump ship and start a new relationship or move forward and try to work through it. We’re gonna move forward and try to work through it.”

When Gifford asked if the wedding was still on at the time, Cena said it was.

“Like I said, I believe we both have some work to do, and we’re genuinely trying our best to work through it, so I’m very happy to say that it’s in a situation that we’re working through,” he said. “We haven’t yet jumped ship.”

Photo credit: Instagram/Nikki Bella