A WWE superfan has thanked Nikki Bella for clarifying that the viral photo the two took together wasn’t inappropriate.
The 41-year-old, otherwise known as Nicole Garcia, recently laid out a new rule for taking pictures at meet-and-greet sessions.
The WWE Hall of Famer took a snap with a fan in a ‘prom pose,’ where the guy stands behind the girl and holds her around the waist.
The image, which was taken over SummerSlam weekend in New Jersey, went viral, with many on social media calling it inappropriate.
The two-time WWE Divas Champion addressed the online storm alongside her twin sister, Brianna, formerly known as Brie Bella, on the most recent episode of the Nikki and Brie show.
“Where it looks like I’m getting pounded from behind? Is that even appropriate to say?” Nikki replied when the topic was brought up.
“Okay, well, I do feel like from now on, there’s going to be a ‘no prom pose’ rule after this photo,” Nikki added.
“But I will say he had an incredible story. He asked very politely about doing a prom photo. I’ve done it a bunch.
“You guys, I didn’t feel anything, it wasn’t like — it never felt inappropriate. It didn’t feel like what the photo looks like.
“I think that was his posture, but maybe I think I feel like it was his posture, and those pants of mine were kind of baggy. They kind of stuck out, so you know how sometimes photos get distorted?
“I honestly feel like that’s what happened. Because I would be honest and I would literally go straight to my rep like, ‘Hey, that was really inappropriate. I felt stuff.'”
The WWE fan in question has now thanked his idol for coming to his aid during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com.
Nikki Bella prom photo
Brian Lema described meeting Nikki Bella as ‘the best experience I ever had in my life’.
He told talkSPORT: “I bought her flowers and wrote her a letter about how much she inspired me as a kid growing up.
“The one word she carries on her every day, on her gear, attire, hat – ‘FEARLESS’ is what I’m described as today, and she always gave me the motivation to always stay fearless no matter how hard things get and keep pushing until I make it and to always believe in myself and to always be myself.”
Brian later shared a video of the pair talking and, of course, their prom photo together, on his Instagram the following morning.
By the time he’d woken up the day after, his post had almost 100,000 views, adding: “I saw a lot of love on the video, but mostly hate!
“One thing I was concerned about was Nikki… I thought my childhood hero was going to hate me for it…”
Brian was then relieved after watching the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion defend him on her podcast.
“So many people were trying to claim that she felt uncomfortable and I didn’t follow the rules, and that she didn’t want to do it,” the 20-year-old added.
“She said she was okay with doing it and never uncomfortable in any way and that I was a sweet person with a beautiful story and that meant nothing but the absolute world to me like I started crying with happiness because she defended me and did not say a single lie and everything she said on the podcast was true and I smiled watching it.
“The picture did come out distorted like she said in the podcast when I got the printout for it, like I didn’t feel anything either. It happened so fast!”
Nikki Bella’s no-prom rule
On Bella’s future ‘no prom pose rule’, he continued: “I 1,000 per cent agree on it because so many people sent a lot of inappropriate messages.
“When Nikki announced that there was going to be a no prom pose rule, I couldn’t be happier to know she’s going to be okay and safe.”
What else has Nikki Bella said about the fan photo?
She told the Nikki and Brie Show: “He had a very sweet story. He’s watched us, Brie, from day one.
“He was very sweet. So, okay. I won’t even comment on it.
“Well, now you know why some people make rules because things go viral for no reason, right?
“And I feel like now, after that, lesson learned because I do prom photos a lot with people. I’m just now that’s going to be a no.“