Eagles fan and WWE star Nikki Bella responds to Cooper DeJean chants on Raw amid dating rumors
WWE Raw was in Philly on Monday night following this weekend’s Royal Rumble.
Nikki Bella thought fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday night were booing her, but the Philly crowd was actually cheering “Coop” at the WWE Hall of Famer.
Bella, who was in the ring for WWE’s Monday Night Raw, reportedly began casually dating Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean in January, according to TMZ. Neither Bella, 42, nor DeJean, 22, has publicly confirmed they are dating, but Bella’s reaction to the crowd indicates there is some connection between the two.
While the “Coop” cheer has become common at Lincoln Financial Field since the Eagles drafted DeJean out of Iowa in 2024, it caught Bella, an Eagles fan, off guard during Monday night’s show.
“Is that for the Eagles not getting in the Super Bowl, or for us?” Bella quipped while in the ring with her twin sister and tag team partner, Brie Bella.
Brie corrected her sister on what exactly the Philly crowd was shouting.
“I actually think they were saying ‘Coop,’” Brie Bella said.
“Oh,” Nikki Bella replied. “Can you blame a girl for having good taste? I mean, Pro Bowl, baby.”
Rumors emerged that Bella, whose real name is Nikki Garcia, was dating DeJean in December after Bella posted a video of herself at the Linc wearing an Eagles baseball jersey with DeJean’s name on the back.
Bella was also spotted at Eagles training camp in August when Raw made a previous stop in Philly, and posted multiple pictures with DeJean on social media. TMZ reported in January that DeJean and Bella had gone on dates but that Bella still considered herself to be single.
“It was so magical just to see all the players, to meet everyone,” Bella said on her podcast, The Nikki and Brie Show, in an episode titled “Big Ring Energy" after her visit. “For them, they talked with us like we were family. Everyone wanted to know the story of why we were here.”
Brie interjected, “Well, hopefully one day they are family” with a laugh, before Nikki quickly changed the subject.
@adamglyn @Brie Garcia and @Nikki Garcia discuss their return at Royal Rumble and more!! #wwe #royalrumble ♬ original sound - Adam Glyn
Bella divorced former Dancing With the Stars coach Artem Chigvintsev in 2024, shortly after Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in California. The Napa County District Attorney declined to charge Chigvintsev. Chigvintsev and Bella share joint custody of their son, Matteo.
DeJean was named a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2025. He finished his second NFL season with two interceptions and 93 tackles.
Bella stepped into the ring at Xfinity Mobile Arena to announce that she would join Brie to challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, which is held by Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky.
Nikki and Brie — with the latter coming out of retirement for Sunday’s Royal Rumble after a four-year absence — have not wrestled as a tag team since October 2018.