BRITAINDAILY NEWS PULSE English (UK)
BritainDaily.uk Britaindaily News Pulse
Subscribe
Blog Business Local Politics Tech World

Nikki Bella: Custody, Children, and Relationship Updates

James Thomas Howard Thompson • 2026-08-17 • Reviewed by Sofia Lindberg

Nikki Bella spent 2025 trading a sole-custody battle for a co-parenting settlement — and ended the year fielding dating rumors about an NFL cornerback. The WWE Hall of Famer’s personal life became a public timeline of legal filings, reported agreements, and career resets.

Full Name: Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace | Born: November 21, 1983 (age 41) | Number of Children: 1 son | Net Worth: $8 million (estimated) | Marital Status: Separated from Artem Chigvintsev (2024) | WWE Hall of Fame: 2021 (with Brie Bella)

2025 Divorce Status

Legal Background

2025 Dating Rumors

  • Multiple reports linked Nikki with Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean, but none confirmed a formal relationship, Page Six noted.
  • A later report said she was casually dating DeJean after weeks of buzz, per The New York Post.

Custody Shift

The table below sorts the reported claims from the 2025 divorce coverage into legal, financial, and relationship categories.

Topic Reported Detail Source
Initial custody request Sole legal and physical custody of Matteo Yahoo Entertainment
Final settlement structure Joint co-parenting approach Ringside Intel
Financial terms $3,500 monthly child support, two $100,000 lump-sum payments TMZ
Custody schedule Major holidays split and alternated each year TMZ
Child-related costs Nikki to cover speech therapy; extracurricular costs shared equally TMZ
Restraining orders Mutual domestic violence restraining orders withdrawn November 2025 Yahoo Sports
2025 relationship status Single; dating rumors involving Cooper DeJean not formally confirmed On3, Page Six

Who has custody of Nikki Bella’s kid?

The reported 2025 settlement answered that question with a co-parenting plan, not a sole-custody ruling. A May 15 TMZ report said Nikki and Artem agreed to split major holidays, alternate them each year, and share responsibility for Matteo’s extracurricular activities.

The same report outlined $3,500 per month in child support from Nikki to Artem, two $100,000 lump-sum payments, and Nikki covering Matteo’s speech therapy.

“My priority is the safety and well-being of my son.” — Nikki Bella, via People

The implication: the final custody picture is a structured schedule, not a winner-take-all result.

What happened to Nikki Bella and her husband?

Nikki and Artem married in January 2022 and separated in 2024. Artem was arrested in Napa County on domestic violence charges, and Nikki filed for divorce shortly afterward.

By November 2025, the couple reportedly withdrew mutual domestic violence restraining orders, according to Yahoo Sports’ report.

“This is a misunderstanding. I love my family.” — Artem Chigvintsev, via Instagram

TL;DR: Nikki Bella ended the 2025 legal fight with a co-parenting agreement, not sole custody, while keeping her focus on Matteo.

The pattern: a divorce filing and an arrest produced months of mediation instead of a clean public break.

How many children does Nikki Bella have?

Nikki Bella has one son, Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev, born July 31, 2020. Artem Chigvintsev is the child’s father.

The catch: Matteo is the shared center of every 2025 custody report, even as the legal language around Nikki and Artem changed from sole custody to co-parenting.

What this means: for readers tracking family updates, the answer is one son, and the live story is how his parents share him.

Why did John Cena dump Nikki Bella?

John Cena ended the engagement in April 2018, days before their planned wedding. Cena later said he did not want to have children at that stage of his life, while Nikki wanted a family.

“I didn’t want to have kids at that time.” — John Cena, on The Howard Stern Show

The consequence: the split became a public example of clashing life goals, and Nikki’s later relationship with Artem started around the shared goal of parenthood.

What does Artem do for a living?

Artem Chigvintsev is a professional Latin and ballroom dancer, known to TV audiences as a pro on Dancing with the Stars since 2014. He has also worked as a choreographer for television and live shows.

For another look at a celebrity divorce that mixed career and family changes, read Rachel Zoe: Net Worth, Divorce, and Career Updates.

Why it matters: Artem’s dancing career is the professional backdrop to a custody story that focused less on his job and more on co-parenting logistics.

The implication: Artem’s career is a separate lane from Nikki’s wrestling life, but Matteo is the shared terrain.

Nikki Bella’s 2025 Relationship Status: Single, With Dating Rumors

By late 2025, Nikki Bella was publicly described as single, according to On3’s report. The same report said she remained focused on her career and on raising Matteo.

Multiple reports linked her with Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean, but none confirmed a formal relationship. A New York Post report later described her as casually dating DeJean after weeks of buzz.

Rumor status: The DeJean coverage stayed in the rumor lane. The stronger through-line in 2025 was Nikki’s parenting routine, not a new romance.

The catch: being single and being linked to someone are not the same headline, and the reporting kept both possibilities open.

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev: 2025 Divorce and Custody Timeline

The timeline below compresses the legal arc from arrest to settlement.

Date Event Source
August 2024 Artem arrested; Nikki files for divorce Yahoo Sports
2024 Nikki seeks sole legal and physical custody Yahoo Entertainment
May 15, 2025 Divorce finalized with reported settlement TMZ
November 2025 Mutual restraining orders withdrawn Yahoo Sports
December 2025 DeJean dating rumors surface Page Six
January 2026 Report describes casual dating New York Post

The pattern: the legal milestones came in pairs — a request and a revision, an arrest and a withdrawal, a rumor and a clarification.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Most of the key details in this story come from settlement reports and unnamed sources, not from a public court ruling. That makes “confirmed” a careful word here.

  • The finalized divorce and the monthly support figure come from TMZ’s settlement report.
  • The initial sole-custody request comes from Yahoo Entertainment’s coverage of divorce filings.
  • The shift toward joint co-parenting and therapy classes comes from Ringside Intel.
  • The DeJean dating reports come from Page Six and The New York Post; no formal relationship has been confirmed.

The honest summary: Nikki and Artem are divorced and share a son, but the exact custody schedule and financial terms remain media-reported rather than court-documented.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nikki Bella’s net worth?

Estimates place Nikki Bella’s net worth at $8 million, built on WWE earnings, endorsements, and TV appearances.

How tall is Nikki Bella?

Nikki Bella is listed at 5 feet 6 inches in WWE and celebrity bios.

Is Nikki Bella still friends with Brie Bella?

Yes. The twins remain close, appear together at WWE events, and have co-hosted podcasts and projects through the years.

Did Nikki Bella have a baby with John Cena?

No. Nikki Bella’s only child is Matteo, whose father is Artem Chigvintsev.

What is Nikki Bella doing now?

Nikki continues public WWE appearances and social media content while raising Matteo and handling co-parenting under the 2025 settlement.

Are Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev still married?

No. They married in 2022, separated in 2024, and finalized divorce in 2025.

Where does Nikki Bella live?

Nikki’s residence has not been a central detail in the 2025 coverage; the reporting has focused on her parenting routine and legal case.

What WWE titles has Nikki Bella won?

Nikki is a two-time WWE Divas Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 with Brie Bella.

The bigger pattern: most questions about Nikki Bella’s personal life circle back to the same point — how a public family rebuilds after a split.

Final Takeaway

For a similar read on a celebrity split and family update, see Davina McCall: Biography, Split, Net Worth & Family.

Nikki Bella now enters the next chapter with a co-parenting agreement in place and a clear public focus on Matteo.



James Thomas Howard Thompson

About the author

James Thomas Howard Thompson

Our desk combines breaking updates with clear and practical explainers.