“Not Ready For It”: Nikki Garcia Says No To Dating After Divorce

Nikki Garcia is not quite ready for romance — and she’s completely okay with that.

On the May 5 episode of The Nikki & Brie Show, the former WWE star and mom opened up about her latest personal adventure: trying dating again. After stepping out of a tough season marked by divorce and emotional healing, Nikki decided to challenge herself both in business and in her personal life by saying yes to new experiences.

“I really put myself out there in different situations, and went out of my comfort zone, whether it was with business on appearances, showing up, you know, packing the calendar, the schedule,” Nikki shared with listeners. 

But the dating world didn’t exactly sweep her off her feet.

“Not ready for it yet,” she admitted, “but I put myself out there. Tried it out. Not ready for it.”

Brie, her twin sister and podcast co-host, quickly jumped in with support clearly proud of Nikki for being brave enough to test the waters.

Nikki reflected on those nights out with a smile, even if they didn’t lead to anything serious. In her words: “[I] just wanted to get my feet a little wet and I just realized I’m not ready for this, but you know, I could have just stayed in hotel rooms and just, you know, on nights that would’ve been wrapped up at like 7 p.m. I went and had some drinks and had conversations and realized that that’s not what I want to do right now.”

Her cautious return to the dating scene comes just months after a very public breakup. Nikki filed for divorce in September 2024 from Artem Chigvintsev, her ex-husband and father of their 4-year-old son, Matteo. The filing followed Artem’s arrest on allegations of corporal injury to a spouse — a serious and painful chapter in Nikki’s life.

By November 2024, a rep confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had quietly settled their divorce through private mediation. Both Nikki and Artem agreed to drop the domestic violence restraining orders they had filed against each other, choosing instead to focus on co-parenting Matteo.

“Nikki’s number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter,” the rep stated at the time, adding, “She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received during this difficult time.”

Now, with her feet back on steady ground, Nikki is taking life one step at a time. Whether it’s packing her calendar with business moves or enjoying a quiet evening off, she’s choosing healing over hurry — and that’s a love story all its own.