Brie and Nikki Garcia Reveal They're Changing Their Names and Leaving the WWE

Nikki and Brie Garcia, better known as WWE wrestling tag team The Bella Twins, are rebranding for their "new chapter" — starting with an official name change. During the March 15 episode of their SiriusXM podcast, "The Nikki and Brie Show," the pair shared why they're choosing to change their last names from Bella to Garcia and revealed that they're ending their contract with WWE.

"Today, we are officially from here on out, the Garcia Twins — Brie and Nikki Garcia," Nikki said. "Our listeners and everyone in the world right now is asking, 'Why?' You had this amazing name that you got from your grandfather, Pop Pop, who'd always call us 'my bellas, my bellas.' And so why after 17 years is that gone?"

Nikki went on to say that the name change marks the start of a new era for the duo. "Brie and I almost 40, we're gonna be 40 in November. We're mothers, we're entrepreneurs. We're executive producers. We're starring now, we're hosting shows. And when our contracts came up with WWE, mutually we all knew we just needed to head into this new chapter."

The sisters first started calling themselves the Bella Twins when they signed with WWE back in 2007, and despite the new change, they affirm that they want to honor their past selves while still looking toward the future. "I just wanna thank Brie Bella. Brie Bella, the character, the name, all of it, that I have been the last pretty much almost, I don't know, 16, 17 years," Brie said. "I am so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella. Put that book to the side and open up a new one and see what Brie Garcia's gonna do next."

Meanwhile, her sister added that she's "so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella." "She empowered me. She inspired me. She truly made me become fearless and the road that she has paved and what she's done for women and the youth and will continue to do just as Nikki Garcia."

See what else the Garcia Twins had to say about their new era in the clip ahead.