What doesn’t kill Nikki Garcia and Brie Garcia makes them stronger.
The Nikki and Brie Show hosts reflected on what the many trials and tribulations they’ve faced over the past year—including Nikki’s legal battle and subsequent divorce from Artem Chigvintsev—have taught them about themselves and one another.
“I’m stronger than I ever thought I was,” Nikki said in an exclusive interview with E! News while attending a special SiriusXM show at Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LIX with Brie. “I think sometimes you have to experience things to realize that.”
For the WWE Hall of Famer and Artem—who share 4-year-old son Matteo—their divorce settlement in November came two months after the Dancing With the Stars alum was arrested on a suspicion of felony domestic violence charge following an incident at their shared Northern California home.
While local prosecutors ultimately chose to drop the charge, restraining orders were filed on both sides alleging that the other person was the aggressor. In the end, the two came to an agreement and mutually dropped their restraining orders against each other. But through it all, Nikki was grateful to have Brie to lean on.
“I have to say that my sister truly always has my back through thick and thin,” Nikki explained. “Like the vows you give at the altar when you’re marrying, you kind of have that with your siblings.”
And her sister agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment, adding a simple, “‘til death do us part!”
As for what Brie—who is married to Bryan Danielson (a.k.a. WWE alum Daniel Bryan)—has taken away from 2024? She has been rearranging her priorities.
“I’ve really realized I’m at a place in my life where, if it doesn’t serve a purpose to me or I don’t have the energy for it, I’m no longer going to give my energy to it,” she told E!. “It’s kind of nice to say no a lot and also be very comfortable where I am in life to be like, ‘Whatever comes my way in life is a bonus because I couldn’t be happier with life right now.’”
After all, the former wrestler had a pretty resilient twin sister to inspire her along the way.
“I’ve learned also from you,” Brie said to Nikki in the joint interview, “so much of just having to have a brave face because we all know haters gonna hate and the Bellas will always ball.”
To see more of the Total Bellas stars’ unbreakable bond over the years, keep reading.
—Reporting by Kate Rosen
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