John Cena made Nikki Bella sign 75-page contract before she could move into his Tampa mansion: WWE

John Cena proposed to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33!

The internet gasped when fans rediscovered that John Cena obliged then-girlfriend Nikki Bella to sign a 75-page cohabitation agreement before she could unpack a suitcase in his Tampa mansion.

The line referring to Nikki Bella as “a guest” in John Cena‘s cohabitation agreement was first highlighted by the X account “Raphousetv” (often abbreviated RHTV) on July 23, 2025, when they posted the excerpt alongside the full 75-page contract headline.

Although the wording itself originates from the original contract (which was publicly discussed on E!’s Total Bellas and reported by outlets like PEOPLE), it was Raphousetv’s post that brought the specific “guest” clause back into the social-media spotlight, spurring renewed debate.

One clause labelled the reality-TV star a mere “guest” and required her to vacate immediately if the couple split. Nearly a decade later, the document still sparks debate about privacy, power, and protection in celebrity relationships.

The contract and its signing played a major role in the storyline of the former couple on season 1 of Total Bellas on E!. In one episode, Nikki discussed the contract with her twin sister Brie Bella and voiced her confusion regarding the contract.

“I just don’t understand it. I just don’t know what to feel. I’m so confused, It kind of makes me second-guess where John and I stand in our relationship. I love John but maybe he knows that he doesn’t want to be with me forever?” Nikki said.

Cena drafted the pact in 2013 as the pair prepared to live together, spelling out fifteen rigid “house rules” and financial safeguards. Cameras on E!’s Total Bellas captured Bella’s tearful confusion as she weighed the guest clause and the obligation to leave with “any and all items” at the first sign of trouble. 

Viewers branded the move “insane,” but lawyers likened it to an ultra-detailed prenup for unmarried partners.

Why did John Cena insist on signing legal lines?

Fresh off a costly 2012 divorce, the 17-time WWE world champion said the agreement protected assets that support his mother and brothers, one of whom faces ongoing medical bills.

“I never want their security jeopardized,” he told Bella, comparing the contract to a handgun kept for emergencies, essential, yet he hoped never to use it. Bella eventually signed, a gesture John Cena later described as proof of her commitment to him beyond fame or fortune.

Public reaction was fierce: critics saw an imbalance of power, while relationship experts noted that clear expectations can forestall messy court battles.

Bella admitted the language made her question whether she would ever be more than “a guest” in Cena’s life, foreshadowing fissures over marriage and children. 

“Is that all I’m ever going to be in [John’s] heart, is a guest? Am I ever going to have that permanent spot in the rest of [his] life?”

When the duo cancelled their May 2018 wedding after six years together, observers cited the contract as an early red flag instead of a safety net.

Both went their separate ways

Bella moved on with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev, welcoming son Matteo in 2020 and marrying in 2022 before filing for divorce in 2024. Cena wed Canadian engineer Shay Shariatzadeh in 2020 and remains adamant that fatherhood conflicts with his career’s relentless pace.

Both continue to surface on WWE television and mainstream talk shows, yet the legend of the 75-page covenant lingers as cautionary lore for high-profile romances.

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