Nikki and Brie Garcia Explain Why They Will '100%' Never Be the 'Bella Twins' Again (Exclusive)
Olivia Owen Nikki and Brie Garcia are feeling free after ditching their long-held "Bella Twins" moniker.
The sisters and former WWE wrestlers walked the red carpet at the 2023 ESPY Awards on Wednesday, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and they spoke with ET's Nischelle Turner about how they feel living life now under their real names -- the Garcia Twins.
"Free!" Nikki exclaimed with a smile.
"We feel great," Brie said, beaming. "Going back to our roots, it just, I don't know, It feels [like] us, who we are."
"We get to have our own voice," Nikki added. "And we always had such an incredible voice and such incredible years -- for almost two decades [as The Bella Twins]. But now, we get to walk into our next decade fully owning it, taking back our power, and it feels so damn good."
The twins made the announcement on their SiriusXM show, newly named The Nikki & Brie Show, back in March, after they decided to retire from professional wrestling. "Today we are officially from here on out, the Garcia Twins, Brie and Nikki Garcia," Nikki announced at the time.
Explaining that the WWE stars are focusing on a "new chapter" in their lives, Nikki noted that they both have busy schedules as mothers, entrepreneurs, hosts and executive producers.
So, for fans who wonder if the pair will ever again entertain under the Bella Twins name, Brie told ET, "It's 100 percent no."
"Even if we were to ever go back and compete in that ring, we'd compete as the Garcia twins," Nikki shared. "Because that's who we are, and that's who we're going to spend the rest of our lives as."
When announcing their name change in March, and their decision to leave WWE, Nikki explained to their audience, "We're going to be 40 in November" and that when it came time to renew their contract with the WWE, she and Brie "just knew it was time to head into this next chapter."
Nikki and Brie have a storied career with the WWE; the sister duo signed with the professional wrestling company in 2007 and debuted in the ring later that year.
News of Nikki and Brie's retirement comes after a year of uncertainty with the organization as well. The twins were originally advertised to appear on WWE’s Raw XXX show, however, that plan fell through with Nikki and Brie openly criticizing the show for having a lack of women wrestlers being showcased. The sisters also have openly called out the organization for not backing the success of their joint reality series, Total Divas.
For more on the next chapter in the sisters' lives, check out the video below.
The 2023 ESPY Awards ceremony broadcasts live at 8 p.m. ET / PT on ABC from Los Angeles. Check out all the winners from this year's ceremony.
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