Philadelphia Eagles standout Cooper DeJean may be rumored to be romantically involved with Nikki Garcia (formerly known as Nikki Bella), but that didn’t stop Salley Carson from shooting her shot.
During the Tuesday, February 17, episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, the “Southern Charm” star opened up about how she made the first move.
“I just slid into Cooper DeJean’s [DMs], football player for the Eagles,” Carson, 31, revealed.
When host Amanda Hirsch asked if he responded, Carson didn’t hesitate.
“Well, he’s, like, dating a 40, or not dating, casually seeing a 43-year-old right now,” she said.
Instagram Sparked Salley Carson and Cooper DeJean’s Exchange
Carson went on to explain how the interaction started. According to the Bravo star, she and DeJean, 22, swapped Instagram likes before taking things a step further.
She said the NFL star “liked two pictures” of hers after she had “liked” two of his posts, which prompted her to reach out privately.
Carson also confirmed that she now has his phone number.
“I think he’s so cute,” she admitted. “He’s going to kill me. He DM’d me back pretty quickly.”
However, their flirty exchange didn’t stop there. Carson shared that she “told him ‘happy birthday’ like two days ago,” which led Hirsch to ask whether she believed anything serious could develop between them.
“I mean, I would love to meet him if he’s not dating her,” Carson said, referencing Garcia. “There’s all these articles that they are dating, but in all of his interviews he’s like [saying no]. Now I’m scared because that girl’s going to beat my [expletive] if they are dating.”
Are Nikki Garcia and Cooper DeJean Dating?
Garcia, 42, was first linked to DeJean in late 2025. In January, a source told TMZ that the two were “casually dating” and shared a “mutual attraction.” However, that same source clarified that Garcia was still single despite her connection with DeJean.
While neither of them have confirmed their relationship, the “Total Bellas” alum seemingly acknowledged it when she entered the ring at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 2. The crowd began to chant something that Garcia thought were boos, but her twin sister Brie Garcia pointed out that it sounded like they were shouting “Coop.”
“Can you blame a girl for having good taste? I mean, Pro Bowl, baby,” Garcia replied in a video that quickly made the rounds via X.
The Hall of Fame wrestler was previously married to “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev, and they share one son together. However, they split in August 2024 and finalized their divorce around three months later of that same year.
Oh Sally girl you are all over the place with the boys…I’m telling you patience patience patience girl. If you really want a meaningful realitionship than stop the bullshit and grow up. Believe me yes, your a single girl but you have all of the fans confused. We thought you wanted to settle down with a good man. We all thought you really wanted a good guy like Craig Conover. We guess not. Cause your all over the place. That’s why you can’t hold a guy. Cause maybe you really don’t know what you want or even want a good guy. All we can say is stop the games and when you do find the one be yourself…..PERIOD