WWE star Nikki Bella addressed romance rumors linking her to Philadelphia Eagles standout Cooper DeJean, and she did it in front of a Philly crowd that clearly knew exactly what buttons to push. Her playful, slightly flustered reaction after WWE’s Royal Rumble, on an appearance on WWE RAW, which all but confirmed weeks of speculation that the two are more than just friends.
The moment unfolded Monday night in Philadelphia as Nikki, 42, and her twin sister Brie Bella made their joint WWE return. Nikki had returned to WWE already, but Brie returned at the Royal Rumble, so they returned on WWE Raw as a unit together. The crowd greeted them with loud boos, prompting Nikki to joke about whether the reaction was aimed at them or the Eagles falling short of the Super Bowl.
Brie then escalated things by suggesting fans were chanting “Coop,” a comment that visibly caught Nikki off guard before she leaned into the moment with a cheeky acknowledgment of DeJean’s status by saying, “Can you blame a girl for having good taste? I mean, Pro Bowl, baby.” The exchange added to dating rumors that had been building for months and was interpreted as Nikki’s most public nod yet to a possible romance. The moment was reported by Page Six, which also noted that Nikki’s representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Nikki Bella And Cooper DeJean Have Been Dominating Rumors
According to TMZ, a source previously claimed in January that Nikki was casually dating the 22-year-old NFL defensive back, emphasizing there was mutual attraction but that Nikki was still “very single” at the time. But the fact that Nikki is 20 years older than Cooper got a lot of flak online. Nikki has been clearing rumors about her love life a lot.
Nikki first sparked speculation back in December, nearly one year after finalizing her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev. She shared an Instagram Reel documenting a trip to Philadelphia, where she attended the Eagles’ dominant 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. One clip showed her posing inside DeJean’s locker, followed by footage of the two appearing cozy while celebrating the victory.
Later that month, the WWE star pushed the rumors even further by posting a video of herself walking through Lincoln Financial Field wearing a jersey honoring DeJean. She captioned the post enthusiastically, referenced the Eagles’ win, and turned off comments, which is a move many fans interpreted as intentional.
Nikki Bella’s dating life has long played out in the public eye, studded with a couple of high-profile relationships. She was famously engaged to WWE superstar John Cena for years before they split in 2018, a breakup she later said stemmed from differing views on marriage and children. Nikki later got with Dancing With the Stars partner Artem Chigvintsev, marrying him in 2022 and welcoming a son before divorcing in 2025 under controversial circumstances.
Published: Feb 4, 2026 12:51 pm