Brie Bella’s WWE return has been derailed by an injury during WWE SummerSlam. Performing alongside twin sister, Nikki, she was rushed to the hospital after her match. The pair had teamed alongside Paige in a tag match against Fatal Influence.
“Yeah, no, she’s injured.” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque confirmed the situation at a post-SummerSlam press conference. “I don’t have an update yet. She was here, got some treatment here [and] has been taken to the hospital to get some scans done.”
Brie And Nikki Bella’s WWE Plans May Be Postponed
The sisters, both 42, had retired from in-ring competition by 2019. The pair was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. Their contracts had expired by 2023, after which they briefly reverted to their maiden surname “Garcia.” Nikki was the first to make her official return at the 2025 Royal Rumble. Brie followed suit a year later at the 2026 Royal Rumble.
The Bella Twins, positioned as heroic figures known as “babyfaces” in WWE’s fictional world, turned on Paige after losing their encounter. The story was set up for the pair to take on villainous roles known as “heels” in WWE. WWE usually covers fallout from its premium live events the following Monday night on “WWE Raw.” But with Brie out of commission, these plans may primarily involve Nikki now.
According to Levesque, Brie has injured her shoulder. The WWE CCO also didn’t mince words on the timeline of her return.
“Seems pretty bad, but I don’t have that answer yet,” said Levesque at the post-SummerSlam press conference. “Hopefully, we will soon and hopefully it won’t be as bad as we thought it was, but that’s the nature of the game.”
The Bellas’ WWE Returns So Far
The sisters achieved fame outside of the WWE bubble with the E! series “Total Bellas.” The reality show initially chronicled Nikki and Brie’s relationships with John Cena and Bryan Danielson, respectively. Their increasing popularity led to more opportunities outside the ring and into mainstream TV. Nikki’s run on “Dancing with the Stars” led to a marriage with dance partner Artem Chigvintsev, whom she dated after her breakup with Cena. The pair welcomed their son, Matteo, before marrying in 2022; they were divorced in 2024. The Bellas’ pregnancies were also a contributing factor to their retirements from WWE at the time. Brie shares two children with Danielson, welcoming her second child just two days after Nikki’s delivery.
Brie recently opened up about her passion for the business that springboarded her and her sister to fame. Speaking to Us Weekly, she reaffirmed her love for WWE and the pro wrestling industry.
“At a time when we became massive reality stars, everyone kind of felt that was what we wanted,” said Brie. “But it’s like, no, we’re massive reality stars because we love to wrestle. But that’s always been [our] fight, which is hilarious to us. We look at online debates and all that, we’re like, ‘Look at all the people who think they know, but they don’t. I feel like people have really felt our love and passion for the business because we don’t have to be doing it. We have thriving companies and we do very well. But we love it. And we missed it so much.”
The Bellas’ Own WWE Plans
Brie was careful to clarify that she was now definitely on her final run in the company. While she’s committed to a full-time return, she doesn’t envision signing on for another contract once her current deal ends.
“This run has been unlike any run we’ve both have ever done,” Brie told Us Weekly. “I feel so comfortable, and …when you’re so comfortable, and I’m looking at this as, ‘I’m not gonna lie to myself. I’m not in denial. This is my last run.”
WWE usually adds time served on injury to a talent’s contract. With the extent of her shoulder injury unclear, it remains to be seen how long she will be on the shelf. For now, WWE fans will need to keep their eye on Nikki to potentially carry the program with Paige forward.
