John Cena surprised fans when he got down on one knee during Wrestlemania [1] and proposed to Nikki Bella in April 2017. Fast forward over a year into their engagement and the couple announced their decision to split up [2]. The two were remaining kept pretty quiet about it, but that all changed when John spoke to E! News at CinemaCon [3].
"'The powerful play goes on and you get to contribute a verse.' I love that Whitman quote. Life is something tough, but it's life and it goes on," he said, quoting Walt Whitman's "O Me! O Life!" poem. "Nicole knows I love her and I miss her, but that is what it is. And I'm still here, still going — and I chose to go."
Fans will get to see the entire breakup unfold [4] when season three of Total Bellas returns on May 20. In previous seasons, viewers have seen John and Nikki disagree on marriage and having kids [5]. The latter is reportedly the main reason why Nikki decided to call off their May 5 wedding.
"Nikki and John truly love each other, but they will never have the same view on a perfect future [6]," a source told Entertainment Tonight. Nikki has always dreamed of having a family of her own and John does not want children and that was the main cause of their break-up. They are both dedicated to their careers, but Nikki wants more than just that."