WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella isn’t planning on softening herself just because some people find her directness hard to take — and that includes when she’s speaking up for women in wrestling.
On The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki shared a quote she’d recently sent Brie during a rough stretch dealing with her injury, one that ended up resonating with Nikki just as much. The message centered on not fearing intensity, and on directing your power rather than hiding or apologizing for it.
Some of us don’t fear the storm. We are the storm. Stop apologizing for your intensity. Your power was never meant to be hidden. It was meant to be directed.
That quote got Nikki thinking about her own habit of apologizing for simply being herself. She admitted she doesn’t always say things perfectly, that she tends to overshare, and that she’ll sometimes use language that comes across a bit rough around the edges or leaves people thinking she’s ditzy.
But she’s made peace with that part of her personality, and said she’s done apologizing for it — especially when it comes to standing up for women in her industry.
I just felt like that quote really makes you be like, ‘Why do I apologize for who I am?’”
“People know I just have come to accept, like, I say fucked-up words all the time. Like, I’m never gonna get things right. I’m always gonna say TMI and I’m always gonna just use words that are—I don’t know—that just don’t make sense. And people might think I’m ditzy.
Nikki was clear that being outspoken doesn’t mean she thinks she’s always right. Her point was more about not feeling obligated to apologize just because someone doesn’t like hearing something stern, direct, or honest. Her advice: know what your strength is, and use it to actually create change rather than shrinking it down to make others comfortable.
But it’s, you know, I’m just gonna stop apologizing for that and also sticking up for women and stuff in my industry.
Don’t expect Nikki to tone it down going forward. If she feels something needs saying, particularly on behalf of women in wrestling, she’d rather say it and deal with whatever reaction follows.
