Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, known professionally as Nikki Bella and later Nikki Garcia, is an American professional wrestler and television personality who rose to prominence as one half of The Bella Twins alongside her identical twin sister, Brianna, better known as Brie Bella. Born on November 21, 1983, in San Diego, California, she built a career that spans professional wrestling, reality television, and brand ambassadorship, establishing herself as one of the most recognizable figures in sports entertainment.
In 2007, Garcia signed with WWE and was assigned to the developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, where she and her sister formed the duo The Bella Twins. She made her debut on the SmackDown brand in 2008, quickly becoming a fixture of the company's women's division. Her in-ring career produced significant accolades, including two reigns as WWE Divas Champion, with her second reign lasting 301 days, the longest in the history of the now-defunct title. In 2021, she and Brie were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as The Bella Twins, cementing their legacy in the industry.
Beyond the ring, Garcia expanded her profile through reality television. She starred in the hit series Total Divas, which chronicled the lives of WWE's female performers, and later headlined the spin-off Total Bellas with her sister. These programs brought her mainstream visibility and showcased her personality to audiences outside of professional wrestling. During her final years in WWE, she made only sporadic in-ring appearances while serving as an ambassador for the company.
After her WWE contract expired in 2023, Garcia and her sister retired the "Bella" surname and returned to their legal maiden name, reintroducing themselves professionally as The Garcia Twins. She reverted to the Bella name in 2025 upon returning to WWE at that year's Royal Rumble event, signaling a renewed chapter in her relationship with the company.
Garcia's influence has been recognized across the entertainment and wrestling industries. She ranked No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Female 50 in November 2015 and was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone in December 2015. In 2016, she and her sister won the award for Choice Female Athlete at the Teen Choice Awards. In her personal life, she is married to professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev, with whom she has shared her journey on reality television. Through her athletic achievements, television career, and enduring popularity, Nikki Bella remains a prominent and influential figure in both wrestling and entertainment.