The Bella Twins change their names to Nikki and Brie Garcia
Nikki Bella and Brie Bella have changed their professional last name to Garcia.
During an episode of their SiriusXM podcast The Nikki and Brie Show, the wrestling stars revealed their plan to ditch their ring names so they would no longer be known as The Bella Twins.
Nikki and Brie told fans that since they planned to leave WWE, they wanted to start using their real names - Nikki and Brie Garcia - professionally.
"Our listeners and everyone in the world right now is asking, 'Why? You had this amazing name that you got from your grandfather, Pop Pop, who'd always call us my bellas, my bellas. And so why after 17 years is that gone?'" Nikki said on the show. "Brie and I (are) almost 40, we're gonna be 40 in November. We're mothers, we're entrepreneurs. We're executive producers. We're starring now, we're hosting shows."
She continued, "When our contract came up with WWE mutually we all knew, like, we just needed to head into this new chapter."
Brie added, "I just wanna thank Brie Bella. Brie Bella, the character that, the name, all of it. That I have been the last, you know, pretty much almost, I don't know, 16, 17 years.
"I am so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella. Put that book to the side and open up a new one and see what Brie Garcia's gonna do next."
Nikki concluded, "And I am so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella, Nikki Bella, whoa. She empowered me. She inspired me. She truly made me become fearless and the road that she has paved and what she's done for women and the youth and will continue to do just as Nikki Garcia."
