Nikki Bella appeared to publicly acknowledge her relationship with Philadelphia Eagles player Cooper DeJean during her WWE return at the Royal Rumble event in Philadelphia. While entering the ring with her sister Brie Bella, Nikki addressed the crowd’s boos by asking if they were directed at the Eagles’ playoff loss or toward the twins. Brie playfully suggested fans were chanting “Coop,” visibly flustering Nikki. Regaining composure, Nikki responded with, “Can you blame a girl for having good taste? I mean, Pro Bowl, baby,” referencing DeJean’s recent NFL accolade.
Earlier reports from TMZ in January described the pair as casually dating, noting mutual attraction while emphasizing Nikki was still “very single.” Dating rumors initially surfaced in December when Nikki shared an Instagram Reel featuring her attendance at an Eagles-Raiders game, including clips of her posing in DeJean’s locker and celebrating with him post-victory. She further fueled speculation by posting footage of herself wearing his jersey at Lincoln Financial Field, captioning it, “Been there, WON that,” before disabling comments.
The romance buzz follows Nikki’s divorce from Artem Chigvintsev, finalized one year prior. The sisters’ WWE appearance marked their first joint return to the ring amid the ongoing speculation.