"Put us on TV or we're gone" - Brie and Nikki Bella allegedly demanded WWE television time

Nikki Bella (left); Brie Bella (right)

Freddie Prinze Jr. says Brie Bella and Nikki Bella were on the verge of walking out on WWE earlier in their careers.

The Bella Twins signed with WWE in 2007 and debuted on the main roster in 2008. Although they eventually forged Hall of Fame careers, the two superstars initially struggled to receive regular television time.

Speaking on his Wrestling With Freddie podcast, former WWE writer Prinze Jr. recalled how Brie Bella once contacted John Laurinaitis about The Bella Twins’ status. She warned WWE’s Head of Talent Relations that she and Nikki Bella were prepared to leave if their situation did not change.

“He [WWE producer Michael Hayes] was the one that ran into the room when we were about to lose them,” Prinze Jr. said. “Because Brie Bella called John Laurinaitis and was like, ‘Look, our contracts are up. Put us on TV or we’re gone.’ John Laurinaitis calls Freebird [Hayes] and is like, ‘You gotta find a way to get the twins on television right now.’ Freebird runs in the writers’ room, he’s like, ‘We got twins! We gotta get them on TV!’”

The Bella Twins, whose mother Kathy has been married to John Laurinaitis since 2016, left WWE in 2012 before re-signing with the company in 2013. Upon their return, they featured in the Total Divas reality series and later starred in their own show, Total Bellas.

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Did Brie and Nikki Bella change the wrestling business?

In February 2015, the hashtag #GiveDivasAChance trended worldwide following a short match between The Bella Twins and Emma & Paige on RAW. WWE began to take women’s wrestling more seriously shortly thereafter, prompting the start of the Divas Revolution/Women’s Evolution.

Seven years on, Prinze Jr. believes Brie and Nikki Bella’s reality show popularity has had a major part to play in the history of women’s wrestling.

“I think The Bellas kinda blew up the women’s division, at least in WWE,” Prinze Jr. stated. “Not to say there wasn’t women killing it all over the world in other promotions... When The Bellas came in there with that reality show, it genuinely changed the business.”

After an absence of more than three years, The Bella Twins returned to the ring in January 2022 in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Nikki recently said she still hopes to win the Women’s Tag Team Championship with Brie one day.

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