The Bella Twins' Relationship With Their Biological Father Is Complicated

Through the years, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella have been in the spotlight in a variety of different ways — starting with their time in the WWE. The twin sisters went on to star in their own reality TV series, Total Bellas, which ended in 2021. Nikki has also appeared on Dancing With the Stars, where she met her husband, Artem Chigvintsev.

More recently, Nikki has taken up hosting Barnageddon. She and Artem were also featured in Nikki Bella Says I Do, which followed the couple as they prepared for their August 2022 nuptials. The show includes appearances from Nikki's mom and step-dad — but what about the Bella twins' biological father?

Let's take a closer look at the Bella twins' dad, Jon Garcia.

The Bella twins' biological father is Jon Garcia — who is responsible for Nikki and Brie's Latina roots. Jon and their mother, Kathy Colace, split some time ago for undisclosed reasons. (They also have a younger brother, JJ.) These days, Kathy is married to Johnny Laurinaitis — aka Johnny Ace — who has a daughter from a previous relationship, Maya.

Basically, the Bella twins regularly see/hang out with their mom and stepdad, and the blended family gets along really well. It's a different story entirely with Nikki and Brie's biological father — who at one point, didn't even bother to let his twin daughters know he was expecting another child.

"I was telling Nicole how my dad unfollowed me off Instagram," Brie told her now husband Daniel Bryan over the phone during a 2015 episode of Total Bellas. "But then when Nicole and I were looking, the biggest thing we found out is that my dad is going to be having a new son ... It's just typical of our relationship."

In late January 2020, Jon opened up with Fox News about the Bella twins' double pregnancy announcement — Nikki with her first child with Artem Chigvintsev, and Brie with her second child. And it was clear their biological father was over the moon for them.

"I'm very excited for both of them. They will be my sixth and seventh grandchildren, God willing everything comes out good," he told the news outlet. "I can't really say it — but OK, I'll say it — I'm especially excited for Nicole."

Jon continued: "I just thought she was going to go without being a mother because it's later in the years for her. Her timing was perfect. She's going to be so good. Nicole is a natural and it's going to change her life for the best."

Jon also commented on how Nikki and Brie were both due around the same time. "It's amazing just because their dates are going to be so close together," he told Fox News. "I kind of joked to them and said, 'Did you guys plan this big romantic night or what?'"

Of his twins being pregnant at the same time, Jon added, "This is a win-win. I'm a proud father and, of course, grandfather."

During an April 2020 episode of Total Bellas, Brie revealed to her mother that she had rekindled a relationship with her biological father.

"I do believe people can change. Part of me feels like maybe dad is, like, in a better place now," Nikki said on the show while talking with Brie and their mom. "I haven't seen him in what, over five years."

"But you've learned. And hopefully, when you see him — whenever that happens — that you guys can start a new relationship," Kathy told her twin daughters.

That's when Brie chimed in with, "I mean, I've seen dad," adding that she'd met up with him at least twice recently.

"I've been in the process of re-building a relationship with my father," Brie explained. "For a long time, we'd go on and off. And it really took my husband to be like, 'Brie, if my dad was still alive, I'd do anything in the world to text him. You're lucky you have that. I don't want to hang onto anger. I don't want to keep thinking about the past. I just want to let go. But I didn't tell my mom because I knew it would hurt her."

Ultimately, Nikki and Brie did reunite with their biological father on Total Bellas — and Jon hinted that his absence in his kids' lives had to do with substance abuse.

As you can see, the Bella twins' relationship with their biological father is complicated. There have clearly been hurt feelings through the years — but it seems Nikki and Brie have been open enough in recent years to start to allow Jon back into their lives.

It'll be interesting to see how much of a role Jon does (or doesn't) play in Nikki's wedding. Hopefully, a pair of new grand-babies (Nikki's son, Matteo, was born on July 31, 2020, Brie's son, Buddy, was born on August 1, 2020) helped facilitate the father-daughter relationship.

Catch new episodes of Nikki Bella Says I Do on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on E!