Nikki Bella Posts Message of Courage to Fans and Letting Go of ‘Familiar’

Nikki Bella is relying on her courage to get her through her break-up with John Cena, according to a post she made on Instagram on Saturday.

Bella posted an inspirational quote to social media on Saturday, shortly after making her first public appearance without her engagement ring.

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar,” read the text in a number of changing fonts. She captioned the post with a single yellow heart emoji.

Bella and her twin sister, Brie, hosted a rosé party at the Sanctuary Camelback Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on Saturday during the Nirvana Food and Wine Festival. Bella appeared to be in good spirits, judging by the photos published by Entertainment Tonight. She indulged in a glass of wine, chatted up the other guests and posed with her sister in the photobooth.

The WWE couple shocked the world when they announced their split on Sunday, April 15.

“While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another,” the couple said to Us in a statement. “We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives.”

Another source cast doubt on the whether the couple would stay apart, saying they “could get back together in a year.

“Nikki hit a point where she was just exhausted by the relationship,” the source explained. “She’s sad but not devastated.”

“John is one of the loveliest people, but he is not open-minded,” they went on. “He’s controlling about everything in his life … Work always comes first … John puts a lot before Nikki.”

The couple was together for about six years. Cena famously proposed to Bella at the WrestleMania 33 event in April 2017. The two had planned their wedding for next month. Their relationship was fraught with mixed signals, as Cena had reportedly told Bella that he never wanted to get married again after his first marriage to Elizabeth Huberdeau.

The wrestler had also stated that he never wanted to have kids, while Bella herself was intent on being a mother. However, after Cena changed his mind on marriage, Bella reportedly hoped that he would come around to the idea of parenthood too.

A month before the split, Cena revealed that the couple sometimes went months without seeing one another, depending on their busy schedules.

“Anytime I get upset, I always just realize that I can’t live without her and I love her and that’s why I cave in on a lot of stuff. It takes being able to mesh two lives,” Cena told Us Weekly. “She’s super busy and sometimes we don’t see each other for months at a time, but when we do see each other, it’s our time and it’s our time together. I think, for now at least, that is certainly what’s making this work.”