Nikki Garcia Believes She Was Made the 'Villain' in Artem Chigvintsev Divorce Because She's a 'Bada-- Woman'

Nikki Garcia feels gender played a role in the public scrutiny she faced throughout her high-profile divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.

In a sneak peek at her and twin sister Brie Garcia's guest appearance on the Wednesday, June 25, episode of Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour, the WWE star addressed the narrative she believes was created around her after she filed to legally end her and the Dancing With the Stars pro's two-year marriage.

Nikki, who is best known alongside her sister as the Bella Twins due to their former ring names Nikki and Brie Bella, cited the alleged double standards between men and women in the media as she declared: "I think they make me, like, more of a villain than I am."

"Oh, for sure. Especially out of your divorce," her twin sister, Brie, chimed in.

The live podcast show's host, Kristin Cavallari, 38, whose 2022 divorce from Jay Cutler, 42, also made major headlines, agreed, stating: "Of course, you're a woman."

On top of simply being a woman, Nikki, 41, thinks her career as a professional wrestler made people overlook the true emotions she was feeling during the process.

"I feel like when you're bad--- women and you kick a-- in a ring, people just assume you're not empathetic," she explained. "It's like we could go kick so much a-- and, yeah, I'll pick a guy out in the crowd. I'll body slam you right now. I can do it."

Lightening the mood, Nikki jokingly told the live audience, "I'll pay for your hospital bill."

Further touching on the subject, Brie, 41, noted: "Because we're pro wrestlers and all these things, we can come off so hard and tough."

"I think that's the biggest misconception," Nikki added, pointing out how her WWE alter ego fueled theories about her actual personality and character following her shocking split from Chigvintsev, 43 — whom she shares her 4-year-old son, Matteo, with.

"People bring up like, 'Well I don't know, 2017, your character in the ring...'" she recalled. "I'm like, 'That's not real. I was playing a villain.' I was playing a character and they all think I'm that person. I mean, I heard it in court through the divorce. Because I was a strong woman, a pro wrestler."

Kristin was baffled by the scenario, as she suggested, "you should not be able to use anything in entertainment. That's bulls---."

Nikki continued to vent, mentioning, "or, with me, they always want to make it about s--. Like, I said a lot more than just that. It drives me insane."

Brie slightly moved away from the subject, as she admitted to reading every article about Kristin and her much-younger ex-boyfriend Mark Estes, 25.

"But I gotta say, I clicked everyone about you and Mark. I was like, 'Oh, s---," she quipped, as the Laguna Beach alum exclaimed: "You're adding to the problem!"