AEW has signed some big named over the past several months, including Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone. After seeing Mercedes debut in AEW, Nikki Garcia almost joined that list. On the latest episode of the Nikki & Brie Show, the multi-time WWE Women’s Champion disclosed that she almost picked up her phone and called Tony Khan about doing business. After giving it serious consideration, she decided against it because she wants to devote her time to being a mother to her son, Matteo.

“Since we’ve been lifting so much, we always say, we always start to get that wrestling mindset, ‘We’re going to go back and do this story and cut this promo.’ You get it, but how serious I got where I was like, ‘Okay, I think I can do maybe a year at AEW and I can do it every week.'”

“When I saw Mercedes [Mone] debut and cut her promo, that line stuck with me, ‘Here, we’re going to make the evolution worldwide.’ I was like, ‘They do.’ It goes into many leagues, is what she means, it doesn’t have to be at one place. It can be at all these places where all these women are wrestling at. I go, ‘Brie, I think I can do it for a year. I can do it here to here and go every week.’

Then, I thought of Matteo. I had a good week of like, ‘This is it. I’m going to call Tony Khan. I’m your girl. I will commit.’ Then, I was like, ‘I can’t do that to my son right now. He needs me,'”

You can listen to the full episode embedded here, including Nikki’s comments about nearly calling AEW President Tony Khan:

Nikki Bella’s WWE Career and Exit

Nikki Garcia made a name for herself for years in WWE as Nikki Bella. Her contributions to the company helped spearhead the Women’s Revolution in the company, where she was placed on top of the card for years.

During that time in WWE, she achieved several notable accomplishments in the company. Nikki is a two-time WWE Divas Champion, and she was named Diva of the Year for three consecutive years in 2013, 2014, and 2015, with the 2013 award being shared with her sister, Brie Bella.

Additionally, Nikki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020, alongside Brie as members of The Bella Twins.

Nikki Bella retired in 2018 because of neck and spine issues but made a comeback at the Royal Rumble in 2022. The Bella Twins left WWE in 2023 after their contracts ended to pursue independent ventures.

Since her WWE exit, Nikki has hosted Barmageddon, a show that aired after WWE RAW for a while. It was not lost on fans when Michael Cole internationally omitted her name while promoting the show during RAW.

Nikki Bella later commented on that snub from WWE to say, “I think more than anything, it’s disappointing. I worked there for 16 years and I helped paved the way for them. Not only that, they’ve always been family to me.”

The pro wrestling world was shaken up in a huge way when Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon was made public. This lawsuit, which alleges sexual abuse, extortion, and assault, could break the company wide open if private texts and emails are exposed for all to see. To prepare themselves for what’s to come, Nikki and Brie Bella are now speaking out.

The Garcia Twins Respond

The Bella Twins are no longer in WWE, as they allowed their contracts to expire. Now as the Garcia Twins, they are doing their thing in the public eye. After those damning allegations against Vince McMahon, Nikki and Brie had to speak up.

The official Twitter/X account for the Garcia Twins sent out a public announcement about the recent lawsuit and the mountain of allegations that it included. It was made very clear that the WWE Hall of Fame team do not condone anything that the earth-shattering lawsuit alleged, and they support women in every way that they can.

We are shocked and disheartened with the recent allegations against members of the WWE. It has been a lot to process since we found out this past week as you all did. This is something we don’t stand for or condone from anyone no matter who they are. We want all women to feel safe and supported in the workplace and in their everyday lives.

pic.twitter.com/kW2sLGd80u

— Nikki & Brie (@NikkiAndBrie) January 29, 2024

The Bella Twins’ Connection to Vince McMahon’s Big Lawsuit

That lawsuit from Janel Grant wasn’t just against WWE and Vince McMahon, because John Laurinaitis was also named as a defendant. Laurinaitis is also married to Nikki and Brie’s mother.

John and Kathy Laurinaitis were married in 2016, years before the allegations in that lawsuit allegedly took place. Their wedding was also used as a storyline device on Total Divas. As of this writing, Laurinaitis has not released any public statement on this matter, but Vince McMahon’s camp sent out a response of denial.

It was also made clear in McMahon’s statement after his resignation from WWE that he was still claiming total innocence from the allegations in Grant’s lawsuit. SE Scoops will have continued coverage of this story.

Allegations In Janel Grant’s Lawsuit

Former WWE employee Janel Grant has filed a lawsuit against McMahon, accusing him of sex trafficking. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday morning, alleges that McMahon, while serving as WWE’s Chief Executive, subjected Grant to sexual abuse and exploitation. The suit claims McMahon coerced her into sexual relations under the promise of career advancement and later trafficked her to other men within WWE.

Grant, who signed a nondisclosure agreement with WWE in 2022, asserts that she first encountered McMahon in 2019 in their shared apartment building. McMahon purportedly promised her work at WWE and showered her with gifts. The lawsuit further claims that McMahon pressured her into sexual activities to secure her a job. Grant was hired as an “administration coordinator” in June 2019, a position the suit alleges McMahon created for her under John Laurinaitis. However, she reportedly had little work, leading to complaints from other WWE employees and Grant feeling her job was undeserved.

Grant further alleges that McMahon sent explicit messages, increased demands for sex, and used “toys” forcefully during intimate encounters, causing injuries. She claims McMahon shared photos and videos of her with other WWE executives and wrestlers, recruiting others within WWE to have sex with her, including then WWE head of talent relations John Laurinaitis. The suit alleges Grant’s mental and physical health declined, leading to McMahon sending her to a “celebrity doctor” in November, with McMahon later paying $20,000 for surgery.

The lawsuit contends that Grant was transferred to the talent-relations division in May 2021, working directly under Laurinaitis. A month later, Grant alleges McMahon and Laurinaitis locked her in an office, sexually assaulting her in turns, followed by McMahon assaulting her again a week later.