Nikki Bella Reveals That She’s Been Secretly Engaged To Artem Chigvintsev For Weeks

Former WWE star Nikki Bella and Dancing with the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev kicked off 2020 as an engaged couple.

On Friday, Nikki, 36, took to Instagram to announce her engagement to Artem, 37. The Total Bellas star revealed that she actually said yes to the professional dancer back in November, and the excited bride-to-be has been trying to keep their engagement a secret. However, she revealed that she and Artem decided that they wanted to begin the new year by sharing their joy with their fans.

Nikki and Artem got engaged during a romantic getaway in France, and Nikki shared a photo that was presumably snapped shorty after Artem popped the question. The happy pair were pictured sharing a kiss inside a large building with exquisite architecture that included white bas-relief carvings on the walls. A large crystal chandelier also hung over their heads.

Two massive bouquets of roses had been placed behind the couple, and rose petals were scattered all over the hardwood floor. A few lit candles had also been placed on the floor, and a violinist and cellist were visibly playing in the background.

Nikki was wearing a fitted black dress with a short skirt that flared out around her thighs. The garment had long sleeves and a mock neck. It was constructed out of a heavy brocade fabric that featured a pattern of glittering gold lace fans. Nikki was also sporting a pair of matching tailored pants.

Artem was wearing a black tuxedo with a velvet jacket. Nikki had her right arm around his neck, and she was holding a glass of champagne in her hand. In her left hand, she held a red rose in full bloom. Her engagement ring could be seen on her finger, but her Instagram post included a second photo that provided a much better view of the massive sparkler.

Artem shared the same two engagement photos on his Instagram page with a different caption.

“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he wrote. “So excited for what’s to come I love you more then anything and thank you for saying Yes.”

As reported by People, Nikki spoke about her reluctance to get engaged in October of last year, just one month before Artem popped the question. She revealed that her split from wrestler John Cena had made her wary about rushing into marriage.

“It scarred me a lot and that’s why at times, I’ll post Artem and then I won’t for a while. It scared me about marriage, it scared me about kids,” Nikki said.

Nikki and John dated for years, and they were engaged when they announced their split in the summer of 2018. Nikki had previously met Artem one year earlier when she was paired with him on Dancing with the Stars, and the two reconnected after Nikki and John’s breakup. Nikki announced that she and Artem were officially boyfriend and girlfriend in July of last year, but they’d already been dating for four months.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, many fans thought that a snapshot Nikki shared on Instagram last month was an engagement photo. She denied that this was the case, but it was taken during her and Artem’s trip to France.