
Happy 2026! We’re flashing back to an unforgettable episode with WWE icon and memoir author Nattie Neidhart! Nikki & Brie sit down with their longtime friend to talk about her powerful new book The Last Hart Beating. From the emotional highs of release day to heartfelt support from her wrestling family (including a special foreword by The Rock), Nattie opens up about legacy, healing, and writing her story on her own terms. With raw reflections, family memories, and laugh-out-loud Divas throwbacks, this episode is full of love, strength, and real-deal resilience. As Nattie says: “Why not me?”—a mantra to carry with you into whatever chapter comes next. Press play and hear how Nattie turned pain into purpose, only on The Nikki & Brie Show!
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Brie Bella
Thy ticket, lady Jennifer of Coolidge.
Natalya Neidhart
Well, many thanks, good sir. Here is my Discover card. They accept Discover at Renaissance fairs? Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Get it with the times. With the times. You're playing the loot. Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right? Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report. Foreign.
Nikki Bella
Welcome back to another episode of the Nikki and Brie show. And we have a really special episode for you today. So we've been looking forward to today's episode for a while now. I mean, this has been literally in.
Brie Bella
The books since WrestleMania Vegas. Actually, you are right. That's like April.
Nikki Bella
And not only have we been looking forward to this, but this is a very special day, not only for us, but for our guests. That's about to come on because today her new memoir, the Last Heart Beating, is officially available everywhere. So everyone please welcome WWE superstar and champion and six time Guinness World record holder, wrestling royalty and all around just a badass woman. One of our besties, Natty Neidhart. Natty.
Natalya Neidhart
Thank you guys so much for having me on. I've been looking forward to this all day today. So I've geared up, I've had my coffee, I had a workout, I've listened to my favorite songs. I'm in the mood and in the zone for.
Brie Bella
Have you had that shot of vibe?
Natalya Neidhart
I did. I did have a glass of champagne in honor of Nicole's amazing performance on Raw last night. By the way, can we just. Can we just stop and say that our girl Nikki was trending worldwide last night?
Brie Bella
Yeah.
Nikki Bella
Thank you. Natty, we love you.
Natalya Neidhart
I know she's humble, but you know I like to shout it from the rooftops to like 6 million people on social media.
Nikki Bella
Oh, my God, you. I know. Natty always shows me so much. Love it. You honestly are the best. And it was so much better having you there. Like, I don't know, you just bring me comfort. Natty was at the show and so it was just. I'm like, okay, Natty, come on.
Natalya Neidhart
We.
Nikki Bella
Everyone misses her. And so it's like, we need you back asap. We really do.
Natalya Neidhart
I know. I love. I love our time together. Us three. We are just, like, we never miss a beat.
Nikki Bella
Never, ever miss a beat.
Brie Bella
It's crazy when you think of how long, like, we've all been together in the business, and it just feels like the other day. Yeah. Like, I just remember it perfectly. Like, the other day in Tampa.
Natalya Neidhart
We all. Yeah. Like, I just. I. I just love our memories together so much. They're like, the great, great memories of my, like, career in wwe. They're the great moments.
Brie Bella
So, Natty ar.
Nikki Bella
Speaking of moments.
Brie Bella
No. The day has finally come. Your memoir is out. How are you feeling?
Natalya Neidhart
I woke up today, like, almost in tears of joy. I just, like, I. I couldn't sleep because I was so excited about, like, okay, today's the day. Everyone's going to read the book. And I. I had a couple, like, months where as we were getting closer to. Especially over the last month, as I was getting closer to the book coming out, I was like, I hope people like it. I hope that they understand it. I hope that they read it. I hope that they get it. I hope that they get the meaning behind it. I hope they get the story. And I just, like, whenever I would have these moments of doubt, I would go back and look at the messages from the girls. So there were some girls in the locker room that I sent the book to, I sent the manuscript to when I finished that, like, they read the book, and I kind of wanted to get like, a. Like, a little study, a little focus group, a little locker room focus group study of what they thought of the book. So I sent it to Nya, I sent it to Live. I sent it to Bianca, I sent it to Beth Phoenix, I sent it to Carmela, I sent it to Bailey, like I said. And so I wanted to, like, Maxine got it. I wanted to see what the girls thought. And every time I felt doubt, I would go back to their text messages after they read the book. They all had different, like, very different, you know, interpretations of the book. It meant something different to all of them, but, like, it helped me so much feel calm about, like, okay, I think people are going to like this. I think people are. I think people are going to really get something from this, because the girls did, you know, and the girls, like, they had a lot of very specific questions, and, like, it meant something different to all of them, which I love. Because art is interpretation.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
You know, it's. It's all about how you look at it. Somebody might look at a painting differently than I look at it. You know what I mean? So I love that people are getting such different points of view from it, but the girls in the locker room, their support and their encouragement, like, it's what's kind of kept me calm about people, how they receive the book.
Nikki Bella
Oh, well, even what I've heard from everyone when just being at Monday Night Raw, we were all talking about your book a lot, and everyone's like, you just can't put it down. Like, you literally keep reading it and you just don't want to stop. And then it's cute because I got a few people like, oh, I was just reading about you. And I was like, oh, yeah, I love that.
Brie Bella
Well, and, you know, Natty, since, like, I mean, anyone who's ever shared a conversation with you or been in a locker room with you or even at lunch, and I feel like a lot of reality viewers. So you saw total divas. You're an amazing storyteller.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Brie Bella
Like, you tell the funniest stories or the most sincere stories, but the way you'll talk about your family or, you know, other acquaintances, anything, you just. You're a great storyteller. So I'm so excited to read this because I know it's just going to be done so well, and the stories are going to be so great.
Nikki Bella
I mean, it'll be a movie one day for sure. Like, I mean, your story, how you write. But what I love seeing, too, is you're already getting incredible reviews from, like, actual book critics, which I think is so huge. I mean, on the day of your release, it's.
Natalya Neidhart
It's really. I'm just like, I'm strong. I'm trying to take it all in and just try to be grateful for every little moment. But, like, when I wrote the book, I was like, as a recovering people pleaser, which I think the three of us are, we're recovering people pleasers. We just want. We want to do a great job. We want to make people happy. We want to make our family proud, our friends and everyone else, we want to do great work. But, like, I also have come to the realization, especially after writing this book, that, like, I wanted to write the book for me. And I spent so much of my career and so much of my life before I ever got to wwe, trying to make everyone else happy. And in writing the book, I realized that, like, I needed to write the book for Me. And if I wrote the book for me, at least one person would be happy with it. And so that was something that, like, really, like, resonated with me from the very, like, beginning. It was like, okay, you know, because at first I was like, I gotta make sure Brett. Like, I want to put Brett on a pedestal because he's so important in my life, and I love him, and we're so close, but was like, you know, I think Brett is probably one of the greatest storytellers ever, and I don't think he wants to be perceived as perfect. I dedicated the book to my dad, but my dad and I also had a very complicated relationship, and so I was. It was very liberating to be able to share. Like, you can love someone with all of your heart, and you can write a whole book about your life and dedicate it to them, but they can still hurt you. You know what I mean? And so, like, there is stuff that happened between my dad and I that hurt me a lot, and it shaped me. It scared me. It aff me, it helped me grow. It helped me become the person that I am today. Yeah. But it was so liberating writing about our experience and just our relationship. Even if it was hard, right? Like, it was hard because there's. And there's a very powerful. My. My dad is one of the main characters in the book, and my book kind of. It reads. It's funny because Bianca. I've talked about this in other interviews, but Bianca was one of the first people to read my book, and she said to me, she goes, it feels like a movie. She's like. It reads very cinematically. And I really wanted my book to be a storyline. Mm. It's the real true storyline of my life. But the big, big thing is in order to get people to turn the chapter to get to the next page, you want to get to the next chapter. It's like, when we finish Monday Night Raw, the way we leave the shows is you want to get to the next chapter. You want to see what's going to happen on the next TV taping.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
When I wrote the book, I was like, I really want people to be like, I got to get to the next chapter. And this is why people are reading the book so fast. They're reading it in, like, two days.
Brie Bella
Wow.
Natalya Neidhart
Because it's a storyline. It's a storyline, and you really once finish a chapter, you're racing to get to the next. But there's some. There's. There's so much range. It's Funny. It's very humorous. There's a love story in there that, like, is for the ages. It's a lot about, you know, my relationships. The good, the bad, the hard ones, the ones that taught me the most. And relationships just like life, they're not linear. You know, like, we like. My most rich relationships that I have in my life are very complicated. So it was really cool to be able to explore that and talk about how, you know, what my journey was, what the story is, and how I live through all of it. Not only just surviving, because all three of us have said this throughout our entire friendship together. We're not survivors. We're people that are thriving.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
You know what I mean? Like, we're, we're, we're just like, we're more than, we're more than somebody that survives something because I know we've all been through tough things, but we're thriving at life because you get stronger. Part of life is figuring it out, right?
Brie Bella
Oh, gosh, I agree with you, Natty.
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Nikki Bella
And it's so true. And that's what I love, is that it's not just for wrestling fans. Like someone who you know doesn't Know, wrestling, I feel can read your book and will take steps, something away. And what do you hope people, non wrestling fans and wrestling fans take away after they've read your book? Like, what do you want them to walk away with? Like, what feeling?
Natalya Neidhart
The biggest thing I'm hearing from everyone is that they felt like they were, they could heal part of themselves after reading it. And so if my journey is, if my journey can be a handbook in somebody else's, you know, survival, if it can help somebody else get through the darkest times of their life because I'm sharing and being so open with my story, then it was all worth it. Like, my entire journey was worth it. You know, as I was writing the book, it was like I kept on every chapter chasing all these things that I thought were going to make me happy. Like, I just got to get this job. I've just got to, you know, I've just got to do this match. I've just got to learn this move. I've just got to win this champ. I've just got to get the job in wwe. I've just got to get to developmental. I've just got to get to the main roster. I've just got to win this title. I've just got to get this, you know, get this. Just this next thing that like you could hold in your hand. And I realized by the time I got to the end of it, I was like, that stuff wasn't the stuff that made me happy, right? Like the stuff that makes you happy. Like, it's all, it's, it's about being able to recognize the stuff that makes you happy. Like, when I, when you get to the end of the book, I realized, like, in a family that's done everything, you know, with my grandfather Stuart, starting our family legacy with Stu Hart, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, the British Bulldogs, my dad, my cousins. Like, in a family that's done everything and being the first woman in my family to do this, I'm not going to be the first woman to main event a WrestleMania or the first person in my family to main event a WrestleMania or win a title or even write a book. I'm not going to be the first to do that in my family, but I was the least likely to make it in my family as a woman. And I'm still standing, I'm still, I'm here. Like, I, I'm not a victim. I'm not just a survivor, but I'm somebody that's thriving in this. And all of the, that we've gone through is Worth it. It's so worth it because it's made me so strong that there's nothing that I really can't achieve in my life. But the biggest thing is, is that I want to be the first person in my family to not leave this business broken. And that's the thing is it's been, like, a very cathartic journey to realize, like, winning is not winning a championship. It's not having a main event match at WrestleMania. Winning is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and not being broken emotionally, you know, and not being. Being broken physically. Like, just being free to do everything that you want to do, to live your life on your own terms. And I was, like I said, the least likely in my family to. To do that. So it's. It's so cool to be able to carry on that legacy. And I also want people to look at themselves in the mirror and redefine the way that they're looking at success in their life. I used to think success was about a great storyline or a women's championship or, you know, buying a fancy car. All, like, I used to think that was success. Now I've realized that, like, I want people to look at themselves and go, why not me? Yeah. Why can't I write a book? Why can't I do a documentary? Why can't I make a movie? Why can't I do this? Why can't I open up a restaurant? Or why can't I chase my crazy dream? Even if you fall flat on your ass, you'll feel so great chasing your dream. And I think that was a big message. In the rocks movie the Smashing Machine. He took a chance on himself to do a movie that is the most vulnerable you'll ever, ever see him. But I liked it because I love the movie. And I think that I feel like he should be nominated for an Oscar because he went to such a dark, kind of deep place, but he's like, why not me? Why can't I do this? Why can't I do a. Do a movie that could win me an Oscar? It's not my traditional role, but it. I want to just take a chance. On me.
Nikki Bella
Yes.
Brie Bella
Well, you know, I love how you.
Nikki Bella
Say that, Natty, because when you and I have talked about your book before, and it really hit me when you were telling me about that. It's. It wasn't about all the things that you've won in life and the records. You said. It was about looking in the mirror and knowing that I survived this and I didn't break. I came out as the one not broken. And it. And you already. Anytime. And I know, Bri, we've spoke about this.
Brie Bella
You're always.
Nikki Bella
Any of my matches. You know how to give straight honesty. To me, to anyone. But there's something about how you give honesty, and she does it from a.
Brie Bella
Genuine place where she wants to help you improve.
Nikki Bella
Yeah. Help you improve. But, like, you also feel amazing about yourself. Yeah. Like, you feel uplifted. You're like, I did something great. But when we were talking about your book and all that yesterday, and then I was driving home from the airport this morning, I was thinking about things, and I'm always like, when I'm by myself, my car, like, either talking to myself or whatever, but I was thinking, like, you know, the match with Roxanne, for me, because, you know, it's not about wins anymore for me. It's not wins and losses for me. I was like, that right there was about impact. That was about what I've done in my career to inspire someone to get to where they're at and to have that moment I won. Like, I was driving, I was thinking about that. Like, I would have rather have that than championships or win. But to have that kind of impact of what you do in your career, that has nothing to do about Main Eventing, WrestleMania or holding this title for this long or having this championship or having them all, whatever it may be. It's about what you do, how you come out of it, but then what you. How you inspire others and how your impact brings them there. And I was thinking about that so much in the car ride and with our conversations as well.
Natalya Neidhart
Yeah.
Brie Bella
And, you know, Natty, I think of, like, when we all filmed a reality show, we film it, then it's like, six months later, we all have to watch the cuts, and we're reliving some moments that a lot of us didn't want to relive.
Natalya Neidhart
Yes.
Brie Bella
And the same goes for a memoir. When you're writing a memoir, you're going back to your childhood. You're going back to those really dark, heavy moments that you have to write. Was it hard to write those moments, or were you able to get through it?
Natalya Neidhart
If those are the moments that I had, like, that's why I started getting a little bit of anxiety towards when the book was coming out, because I was like, oh, what if people don't understand that? Or what if somebody, like, doesn't? What if they don't get it? Or what if they don't like it? Or what if they think I'm burying so and so or what. I started, like, questioning, like, a little bit. Like, I was like, it's a really important part of the story, though. I don't want to leave that out. But, like, I just was. You know, there were some hard moments, some very vulnerable chapters that took me time to really think about, sleep on. Right. Work on, dissect. Yes, very much so. But I also realized that there was chapters I couldn't leave out. I. I just couldn't leave out because I was like, now you're. If you're gonna write a book and you're gonna start leaving out all these tough chapters, then why the hell are you writing the book? Like, you're talking about your life. You're talking about your story. And I. And I will stick to the core issues of the story because with my family and my life, there's. Our family is so much meat on the bone with. With everything there was. There. There's like a. There's like, a damn miniseries on our family that could, like, span decades. But I was like, what is the most important part of the story? And let's stick to the story. Let's stick to the core issues of the story. So it was tough talking about stuff with my dad because I needed to be able to explain the stuff that was going on with my dad and his health in order for people to understand that he wasn't. He wasn't. He wasn't trying to be a bad parent. I think he was doing the best that he could. And so in writing that, I actually really forgave my dad. Like, in writing this book, I. For a lot of the hard things that we went through as kids, I really forgave my dad. I got to the end of it, and, like, I just had so much freedom of. Like, he did the best that he could. And now that we understand that he was struggling with so much, it gave me, like, this. Under this totally different understanding of him. That's why I wanted to dedicate the whole book to him, because I was like, this is my big story for me and my dad, and he wasn't. He wasn't trying to be a bad parent. But sometimes, you know, there's no playbook on how to be a great parent. Sometimes parents are just doing the best that they. That they can. But. But like, in. In TJ's injury, that. Those were very hard chapters for me to write about, but they were also. I wanted people to see what happened on the other side of TJ's injury. Where he. He lost something that was so important to him. And I think everybody can relate to going through grief and going through something that means everything to them. Grief is. You know, people, it's. It's so relatable. But I wanted people to see that. Like, in TJ's darkest hours, where he didn't know if he could go on and he didn't know who the hell he was, he completely lost his identity when he lost wrestling on the other side of that grief and that. That hard time, there was so much hope. And TJ entered the best era of his life. And so, again, somebody that's going through something really hard, I want. I. I couldn't get to the best era of his life without showing that he had overcome something.
Brie Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
So it's. It's also like a book about hope. You know what I mean? Like, you're gonna. There's a lot of hope that comes from it. I think the world needs a lot more hope.
Nikki Bella
Amen. So true.
Brie Bella
So true. I. Gosh, it's so. Yes, a. I.
Natalya Neidhart
Had the time of my life. Hey, I never failed this way before.
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Natalya Neidhart
And I owe it all to you.
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Brie Bella
Definitely. Well, Nadi, you have Dwayne the Rock Johnson write your foreword. Did you ask him to do it? How did that come about?
Natalya Neidhart
So, you know, I wanted Brett to be a part of my book because Brett is just a master storyteller. But I was also like, the thing with Dwayne is that part of asking him to be a part of the book was that it was part of me standing on my own two feet. And so, of course I wanted to include Brett, but I also wanted to, like, show that this was also, like, okay, I'm not gonna just lean on family because Brett is, you know, he's. He's one of the greatest storytellers ever. But I was like, I want to ask Dwayne if he would. If he would help me with this project, because Dwayne's dad was a wrestler. Yeah, Dwayne's grandmother, just like my. Just like my grandfather, they were wrestling promoters. And so Dwayne is the first third generation male superstar in wwe, and I'm the first female third generation superstar in wwe. So I was like, we have all these similarities, but, you know, our careers were very different. But I was like, I would love to. Like, I know he's so supportive of women's wrestling, and he's just. He's somebody that, like, I feel like we have so much in common because he also, you know, he's extremely successful now, but he also went through a lot. And so I was like, I would love to have his help. And it was. I know this is going to sound crazy, guys, but, like, he jumped at the chance to help me. He was like, absolutely. It was literally me, like, getting up my courage. I was just getting up my courage to ask him at the Netflix premiere. I was like, I gotta, like, I really want to ask him here. I've got to, like, make this my mission today. And I. I walked right up to him. Of course, he swarmed with like a, you know, everyone, everybody and their brother was trying to talk to him. He sees me, gives me a huge hug, stops, and talks to me as if I'm the only person in the room, and then agrees to do the forward.
Nikki Bella
Oh, my God.
Natalya Neidhart
And I was like, I couldn't even believe it. I was just like, I mean, I could. I can't believe it now. But. And then he researched it. So he. He reached out to me and was like, you asked me a bunch of questions. He's like, I want to write this from my heart. I want to make it great. I really want to be involved in it. And I know, like, now we realize, oh, he's doing this massive movie, right? You know, he's like, he's one of the busiest guys on the planet. But the busiest people, they always are the ones that make the time.
Brie Bella
Oh, I agree.
Nikki Bella
Always.
Natalya Neidhart
And he. He made the time. And he helped me with actually the ending of the book. Because when we were talking about the forward, he said to me, he's like, I just. I really want to know what legacy means to you. What is your. What does legacy mean to you? Can you really, like, I need you to think about it. He's like, take, take, take a couple days. Think about what legacy means to you. Because I was struggling with the finish of the book. And then I was like. When I was trying to answer Dwayne's question, I was like, oh, my God, I have to finish the book. This is the finish. This is the finish of the book. What legacy means, like, oh, my. It's very powerful, but huge proponent for what legacy means to me. So not to change topics, but I do want to go back to Nikki's match with Roxy. So I watched that, and. Sorry, Nicole, I'm putting you on the spot. I watched that match backstage. I was watching. So I was watching it. Like, I get nervous when I watch you guys wrestle because it's like, I want you to do great. Yeah. You know, So I was like, oh, just perfect. And of course, there's a bunch of other WWE talent around me, and they're like. They're looking at me like, why is Natty, like, selling so hard at the monitor? But I. Nicole, I thought it was because I know the story.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
Like, there's a great story in you versus Roxy, because when she was 13, like, we were in the middle. I was with Nicole and Bri in the parking lot filming Total Divas. Yeah.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
And she just walks and, like, sees us all, and she's just like this. I remember it. I remember. I remember. Well, yeah, so when you guys came out, like, everybody was so into the match, it was crazy crowd reactions, which I always say to people, you can have the most perfect, technically sound match, but if our audience doesn't get into it or they don't feel it or they're not reacting, it's. It's not a great match, you know, and it's. And I've been in those situations, too, are like, I've wrestled in front of crickets, you know, like, and I would. I could be having the perfect match. So what I loved, I was actually, I was watching the match with Maxine. And so what I loved is, like, it was just like the crowd was reacting for everything. And I could. I knew. I knew the backstory of it, and I knew that. I know, like, in real life, she's got a lot of respect for you, but I also knew that, like, you're in there, and I'm like, I'm watching you kind of bring that, like, energy where it's like, listen, I've been in this. I've been in a no hold barred match with Nikki Bella, and she's not playing. Yeah, she's not playing.
Nikki Bella
Sure isn't like.
Natalya Neidhart
Like, even just seeing you guys do your comeback, I was like. It was a very elaborate match. I was blown away by how much time you guys got, but I also thought you guys told a great story, and I loved how the finish went to down. And I know, again, I'm talking kind of inside wrestling, but, like, I love it. I was so. I was so, so proud of you because this wrestling is so hard, and it's like, I. If I take two weeks off of not wrestling, I just feel rusty. I feel like I'm not my best. I'm like, you know, and. And for you to go and, you know, you and Bri, I mean, like, you guys have made yourselves into mainstream stars. You guys have been on the COVID of People magazine, and you guys have done it. Like TJ was saying to me, he's like, they're big stars. I'm like, tj. I know, I know.
Brie Bella
He's so cute.
Natalya Neidhart
Like, you went and did. You guys both went and did a ton of stuff. Took a ton of, you know, took all these chances on your dreams. You had kids and you came back, and the audience just. They connect with you. And so that's the biggest thing is that the crowd was so into your match last night with Roxy, and it's like, that's that connection that you just can't. It takes time to build that rapport and that relationship with the audience. So, like, being there in person, I just love seeing it. So that was my gushy story.
Nikki Bella
Thank you, Natty.
Brie Bella
But that's so sweet.
Nikki Bella
Yeah, so sweet. Like, that means so much to me. And that's. And that's what I mean.
Natalya Neidhart
It's.
Nikki Bella
I just love when you're there. It's so helpful for me. And it. It's funny because.
Brie Bella
And everyone loves, like, when you're there.
Nikki Bella
Oh, no, Big time single person. Natty's gonna give it to me straight. Whether I'm getting praises by everyone or not or whatever it may be, but Natty always gives it to me straight. But then also, like, makes me feel so good about myself at the same time. Like, I just. I know what you say is so honest and true, and. And I. I wish you. I just have missed you so much. And it was funny because my mom gets so nervous too, because she's like, I just want you to do good. And now you. You made me really nervous. Tell me it's day two of your period, and I don't like hearing that. And now I'm even more nervous, and I'm like, mom, it'll be fine. But, yeah, it does suck. It's day two, my period. It's, like, weird.
Natalya Neidhart
It's so crazy because live. Live tv, though, anything can happen. And also, yes, people don't know when you're going through that feminine time of the month. It can be crazy.
Nikki Bella
I mean, crazy.
Natalya Neidhart
I'm not gonna give too much information. Yeah.
Nikki Bella
Oh, my gosh.
Natalya Neidhart
It's not. It's. It's like, tell people that don't understand about it. It's like, you just, like. And usually, for whatever reason, it's like, if one person is dealing with it, everybody in the locker room is so. Science, technology. Can I. Can I read? Can I read? I've been around a lot of bitchy women, so I'm. I'm an expert in locker room etiquette and all that stuff. Can I read a little excerpt of my book about you guys?
Brie Bella
Oh, I love it.
Natalya Neidhart
Okay. So I was. This is one of the things I'm so excited about, like, just doing. But I wanted to, like, read this little extra. I'll try to make it snappy. Okay. Okay. This was highlighted my first week in developmental in Florida when Steve Kern told me WWE wanted him to bring in these twins, who, from what Steve understood, were models. He didn't really know what to do with them, but he asked if I would spend time with them and show them the ropes. And explaining the twins arrival, Steve rolled his eyes and kind of sighed like, well, we'll see what we can do. Sure, I could help. I decided I would show these women everything I knew about the business. And if I could do that with the two women, if I could do that with two women at the same time I had no ties to at all in this business, surely that would prove how valuable I was. So in came the Garcia sisters, who fans would come to know as the Bella twins, Bri and Nikki. Unsurprisingly beautiful, but also, I noticed a few things about them. They were likable, funny, and had had athletic backgrounds in soccer, and they were sharp as a knife when it came to business. They had a cool California vibe that seemed effortless, and they made friends with everybody in no time. Within a week, they were the life of the party in fcw, which reminded me of how important it was to not judge a book by its cover. I'll admit that when I first heard of them and saw their pictures, I naively thought that they were just models and didn't want this. But it turned out that they had a great work ethic. They were the first girls at practice every day. They worked their asses off and they were the last ones to leave. They would do all this extra stuff too, like hanging flyers and talking to the tiny number of fans who came to our shows. They were great for morale at fcw. And then these wonderful girls had the audacity to also teach me how to do my taxes. They introduced me to people that could help me on the business side of things. They introduced me to a seamstress to get my gear made and a good accountant to manage my hundreds of doll. Anytime I had an issue, the Bellas knew someone who could help. They taught me about clothing, fashion and my look, my energy and my character. They made me feel better about myself, like I wasn't an ugly duckling. I knew I wasn't a model, but with the right styling and advice, I began to feel as beautiful as I could. They taught me about storylines and how to pitch ideas and how to mingle and talk to people. They told me that it wasn't about politicking, but you can't get ahead in the world without being able to communicate. Communication is everything in our industry. They were right. They knew everyone and everyone wanted to know them. One night they invited me out to dinner to a dinner gathering, where I ended up putting Jimmy Fallon in a headlock after a few shots of vodka. Around the twins, I felt like I was learning around the twins, I felt like I was learning to come out of my shell, out of the ring. And I loved it.
Nikki Bella
Oh my.
Natalya Neidhart
So that's just a little bit now.
Brie Bella
It makes There's a whole other like me too.
Nikki Bella
That made me emotional.
Natalya Neidhart
I don't want to go on and on, but there is a bunch more. But anyway, you guys have to read the book.
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Natalya Neidhart
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Nikki Bella
You know what I love? It's what makes me emotional. One, Your words are so beyond sweet, but it's the. Your perspective. Right?
Brie Bella
Right.
Nikki Bella
And because you went through so much when you were always so gorgeous and beautiful. And I always hated how the industry at that time made you feel because they were just so wrong about you. And then it was like, you were always the triple threat. You not only were one of the best wrestlers and came from, like, the coolest family that will ever walk into a wrestling ring. Like, no one can ever top them, but you were.
Brie Bella
You are.
Nikki Bella
And were gorgeous. And then you were so freaking funny and, like, could just. You had the quickest comebacks on everything. Like, you don't even ever need to be scripted for promos. It was like you truly were the triple threat. I think that's. We all connected so much like sisters because you're also just an incredible person. You shine so much light. You have the biggest heart.
Brie Bella
You.
Nikki Bella
You know, it's funny because the other day when we were talking, I was saying how Bailey's the heart of wrestling because we were with Teo. But then. And I think of you and you and Bailey, you both are like. Like, when you think of wrestling in the dictionary, like, both of your names will be there. Like, you will always be there. And tj, I mean, TJ is another one.
Brie Bella
But I think that's why our friendship has always been, you know, the same. Like, we have all connected in such a way because we all needed each other. We needed you, Natty, as much as you needed us. And, yes, we all needed each other. And we, like, looked at that, and you're right. We didn't judge. We didn't any. You know, we just all went in.
Nikki Bella
We all wanted the best for each other.
Brie Bella
That's it. And we still do.
Nikki Bella
And wanted to have fun.
Natalya Neidhart
Yes.
Brie Bella
And we have.
Natalya Neidhart
Yes.
Brie Bella
Oh, my goodness, we have.
Natalya Neidhart
And we. We just had so much fun together. But I loved being able to because, like, I realized. I said that I've said this to Nicole quite a bit when I've seen her backstage, but just saying it to both of you together, like, when I was writing the book, I just was, like, I just started somewhere and just started going and started writing and just kind of pouring my heart and soul onto the pages. And then as I kept going, I was kind of like, you guys were. You kept creeping into every, like, story. And. And so it was cool because there's these main characters in my life that, like, taught Me a lot. They had my back. They supported me unconditionally. And, like, we just learned and grew so much together. And, like, that's part of what I love about the industry. Like, I, I, I've said it before, but I think it's worth saying, like, everything I have in my life is because of professional wrestling, and that includes my relationships. Those are the most. I wouldn't have these incredible bonds without professional wrestling. Like, wrestling has brought me to tj. It's brought me to you guys. It's brought me closer to my dad. It's brought my whole family. It's what makes us tick. You guys are. Those relationships mean so much more to me than winning a championship or main eventing a Wrestlemania. Like, if I hadn't been a part of professional wrestling, I never would have met you guys. So when I say that professional wrestling has given me everything, I truly mean it.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Brie Bella
Yeah. And, you know, Natty, you do, you look at the heart family and you see all the incredible men, but you truly are the heartbeat of the family. You are. And, you know, even the way you put, like, the way you talk about your family and you keep their legacies going, it is honestly, like, I feel like the way you'll still post about Owen and even Brett, like, in your dad, and we get it, like, you are truly the heartbeat to the hearts. And that is so incredible because you are the first woman to come out of there and to be right up there with your uncles, your dad, it's incredible your grandfather to be like, you.
Natalya Neidhart
Know, in my family, I was the least likely to make it. And that's what I love about Brett's. Brett does this beautiful introduction, which his words were so strong that I wanted them to, like, start the book. And so the first page, you know, the first words you'll read are Brett's. And so Brett had said told this beautiful story where he was, like, you know, he had just gone through. When I told Brett that I wanted to get into wrestling, it was a year after my uncle Owen passed away. And so Brett was in a really hard, dark kind of place in his life. And so he was a little, like, he was just like, natty, I just, I don't want you to get hurt emotionally. You know, it's a very hard industry. And, like, he was going through a lot personally. And at the end of his. And I don't want to give away all of his stuff, but at the end of his introduction, he said, like, in a family where, like, she was the least likely to, to do this. She's still kind of leading the way. And so for me, like, I never take for granted what my family built. My grandfather was the tree. Like. Like, he was the. He was the. He was the guy or he was the root that started in the dirt, you know, like, he was the root of the tree. He didn't have the luxury of having all these. Like, my grandfather had to start it in the. In the dirt. Yeah. And then we got the luxury of being the branches on my grandfather's tree. Like. Like from Brett and Owen and Davey and Dynamite and my dad and me and TJ and Harry and just everybody in my family that's wrestled, we got to be these branches on the tree that we got to reap the benefits of everything. My grandfather had to build in the dirt. Yeah. So it's never been lost on me, the sacrifices that my family's made. All this. Like, I never take it for granted, but I also. I love highlighting in the book that, like, it was really challenging to. To get hired and to do well in WWE and to make it. Because when you come from a family that is as big and as amazing and as great as mine, I think sometimes it's like the biggest pressure that anyone put on me was coming from me.
Brie Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
You know what I mean? Where I just felt so much of my career, you know, I wasn't, like, worthy of even being. Like, I wasn't worthy. Like, I was like, I'm never gonna be like. I remember my first tour of Japan, my very first tour of Japan. I was. They wanted to bill me as Nadia Harto. So I was like, you know, they wanted to give me a different name. And they were like. And of course they wanted me to be, like, from the Heart family, which is great. It sounds great on paper. I remember being the most scared I'd ever been in my entire life up until that point, because I was like, they're gonna think that I'm as good as my family. They're gonna think before I wrestle that like, maybe, you know, we want to see what she's going to do because Bret Hart is her uncle. But then they're going to see me wrestle and they're going to think I'm terrible. And I had it in my mind. I was like, well, just go out there and do the best you can. But, like, they're never going to like you because they're going to. They're going to have this vision of Bret Hart on their head, and they're going to be so disappointed when they see Me. And that followed me around for a lot of my career. And it wasn't until, like, later in my career, I was like, natty, you are different than them. You are a woman doing this. It's totally different. It's apples and oranges. Like, you are worthy of being here and you are more than enough. And so that's a good message too, for people because it's, you know, we are more than enough. Like, last night, Nicole, you crushed it. Like, and it's. It's funny because after your match, I'm giving tea. I'm giving Inside Gossip. After Nicole's. After Nicole's match with Roxy, like, because we're such perfectionists. Like, Nicole's, like, I could have done this differently. I could have done this. I could have. And like, Nicole, you did great. Like, listen to the crowd. They loved it. Yeah, the people loved it. Can we all improve on everything? Like, we, like, I. I analyze a lockup that I could have done better, but, like, the people loved it. And I wanted you to, like, give yourself credit for doing such a great job and not beating yourself up because you did amazing.
Nikki Bella
Yeah. Oh, thank you, Natty.
Brie Bella
I know, honestly now, you're just the best. You have no idea. And for all of you listening right now, please go on Amazon and overnight this book.
Nikki Bella
I mean, or I love it, because Natty gave us her own personalized and I have mine out the door.
Brie Bella
And so I have two copies.
Natalya Neidhart
Yes.
Brie Bella
And also you can get it, Natty, at any Barnes and Noble.
Natalya Neidhart
You can get at any Barnes and Noble you can. I've signed some in certain Barnes and Nobles, but I'm doing a book tour as well. So tonight I'm going to be starting the tour at the Grove in Los Angeles. And then tomorrow I'm at Mall of America. And then Thursday I'm in Jersey, Friday I'm in Toronto. So it's. It's really cool. I've got this whole, like 13 city book tour. I actually just added Chicago.
Nikki Bella
Oh, my gosh.
Brie Bella
Well, Natty, where can someone get the dates and tickets?
Natalya Neidhart
You can go to last heartbeatingbook.com and they can find out exactly where everything is. So it's. It's exciting. It's really cool. So I'm. I'm so grateful that you guys have the book.
Brie Bella
Oh, me too. And I'm starting. I'm going to start to read it tonight.
Nikki Bella
Yes, for sure. Oh, me too. I cannot wait.
Natalya Neidhart
Just get ready. So have some tissues available.
Nikki Bella
My eyes have welted up. Even when I saw Dwayne's P.S. i was like, oh, my goodness. And so, just being so close to your family and your dad and just all of like. I just know. I know.
Natalya Neidhart
Yeah.
Brie Bella
Be crying and tissues. That's for sure.
Nikki Bella
Honestly, Definitely have that wine.
Natalya Neidhart
Yeah.
Nikki Bella
Pinot Noir for Natty. That is for sure.
Brie Bella
Yes. Well, Natty, we always like to end our episodes with little inspiration, affirmation. Is there any for this book tour? Is there a motto or any type of inspiration you're going into?
Natalya Neidhart
This is perfect for the book tour. Why not me? Yes, why not me?
Nikki Bella
Love that.
Natalya Neidhart
Yeah, that's.
Brie Bella
That's why not me. It's so true. Everyone put that on your mirrors, right?
Nikki Bella
Honestly, why not? I love that affirmation. Why not me?
Brie Bella
Yeah. It's so great, Natty.
Nikki Bella
Amen to that.
Brie Bella
And you have proved that for sure. So thank you for being such an incredible friend. But incredible inspiration, not only in wrestling, on total divas. The way you lived your life, you opened up your lives to your family, these honest stories. I mean, I feel like from the really true reality viewer to wrestling fans, you've inspired millions of people across the world and it's just as your, one of your besties, it's been just so much fun to see.
Nikki Bella
Yeah.
Natalya Neidhart
I love you guys so much. I can't wait for us to get together, have a glass of wine and catch up on like 20 years of everything, honestly.
Nikki Bella
Because yesterday was not enough. I was like, wait, I need to sit down.
Brie Bella
Like a dinner with wine.
Natalya Neidhart
No.
Nikki Bella
No distractions.
Brie Bella
No distractions. We have a lot we have to talk about.
Natalya Neidhart
We.
Nikki Bella
We really need to figure this out so much.
Natalya Neidhart
We just always.
Brie Bella
We.
Natalya Neidhart
I, I will let you guys go, but we. Nicole, I just, I was so excited about seeing her last night. I was like, yeah, I saw you, Nicole. This is like an hour before Nicole's about to go out in front of a sold out crowd in Anaheim. And I was like, just like I was a kid in a candy shop. I was like, we. It was so much fun. And Nicole is just calm and cool and collected and then she's like, oh my God, I gotta go out. I gotta get ready to go to the ring.
Nikki Bella
So I'm sorry, Nicole on West Coast Live. And then we are towards the beginning of the show, I all of a sudden was Natty. I was waiting for a touch up and Natty and I ran into each other. And then I look at the time, I'm like, oh my gosh, we're about to go live. And my entrance was in the segment before.
Brie Bella
So I was like butterflies right now thinking about it.
Natalya Neidhart
I filmed your entrance.
Nikki Bella
Oh, you.
Natalya Neidhart
I filmed your entrance. Oh, yeah. I filmed, like, I just was so excited. But anyway, I'm a big fan of you and Brie, so I. I love you guys. I can't wait to love you. Can't wait to see.
Nikki Bella
Yeah. And Natty, you know, glued.
Brie Bella
We're all glued to raw.
Nikki Bella
We all are waiting for when Natty Neidhart's making her way back.
Brie Bella
And so we want that bad that we're all seeing on Instagram.
Nikki Bella
I mean, that bad. Better be showing up. Well, actually not when I'm in the ring.
Natalya Neidhart
Yeah.
Brie Bella
Well.
Natalya Neidhart
Oh, my God.
Nikki Bella
I can't wait.
Natalya Neidhart
I know.
Nikki Bella
The locker room can't wait. We're. We're waiting for you, so I can't wait for that day.
Natalya Neidhart
Thank you, you guys.
Brie Bella
Yes. All right.
Natalya Neidhart
Thank you guys so much. Sending your mom a copy of the book, too. I love you guys.
Brie Bella
I love you, too, Natty.
Nikki Bella
Love. She will. Oh, my goodness.
Brie Bella
All right, everyone, you could see videos of today's episode on your YouTube channel and all of our social platforms. That's Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram. You name it, we have it. And the Nikki and Bri show is also on SiriusXM Stars 109. You can call us at 833GARCIA, too. Even if you have something for Natty, we'll make sure she gets it. Comment question. We'll send it her way. And please, right now, go online and. And get your Natty Neid book, the Last Heart Beating. You can get it. Amazon is a great way. You can go to your local bookstore. You can even order on a bookstore.
Nikki Bella
And go meet her. Go meet her on her tour.
Brie Bella
Yes. 13 cities. You don't want to miss out. Yeah. Okay. Natty, we love you so much. Good luck with everything.
Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Nikki & Brie Garcia
Guest: Natalya Neidhart (“Nattie”)
This heartfelt episode celebrates the release of WWE superstar Natalya Neidhart’s memoir, Last Hart Beating. Nikki and Brie Garcia welcome their longtime friend and wrestling colleague to discuss her writing process, wrestling family legacy, overcoming doubt and hardship, and finding true success beyond titles and records. The conversation is equal parts emotional, entertaining, and motivating, filled with stories of friendship, vulnerability, and inspiration for listeners of all backgrounds.
Natalya reveals she sent her manuscript to several women in the WWE locker room for feedback (Nia, Liv, Bianca, Beth Phoenix, Carmella, Bayley, Maxine).
Each woman found different meaning in her story, reinforcing the book’s universal appeal and helping Natalya cope with release anxiety.
Natalya describes writing as cathartic and liberating, especially when confronting complex relationships (notably with her father).
She emphasizes the importance of honesty and not omitting difficult chapters, aiming to help others heal by sharing her struggles.
Moving beyond wrestling accolades, Natalya advocates for a broader definition of success focused on personal fulfillment, resilience, and thriving—not just surviving.
She shares lessons learned: being the “least likely” in her wrestling dynasty to “make it” and her determination to be the first not to leave the business broken.
Nikki asks what Natalya hopes fans—wrestling and non-wrestling alike—will take away.
Natalya emphasizes healing, hope, and the idea that her journey can be a “handbook” for others through hard times or self-doubt.
Natalya opens up about her connection to the legendary Hart family, the pressures of legacy, and being the “heartbeat” of a wrestling dynasty.
Writing about her father and husband TJ’s struggles and triumphs allowed for forgiveness and underscored the book’s message of hope.
Natalya shares how The Rock wrote her foreword—not only due to their shared multi-generational wrestling heritage but also as a symbol of standing on her own.
The Rock's questions about “legacy” helped her shape the book's ending.
The hosts and Natalya reminisce about their early years together, supporting and pushing each other.
Natalya reads an emotional excerpt about Nikki & Brie from her book (29:13–31:56), highlighting the Bella twins’ work ethic, business acumen, and how they made her feel beautiful and accepted.
Natalya discusses the challenge of revisiting traumatic childhood memories and TJ’s life-changing injury while writing the memoir—but insists those parts are crucial for readers to see hope after darkness.
Natalya chooses “Why not me?” as her inspirational motto for the book tour and for listeners everywhere.
Affirmation to Remember:
“Why not me?” – Let Natalya Neidhart’s question inspire you to take your own leap—whatever your dream may be.