After initially being booked for RAW XXX, WWE's South Philadelphia-based birthday party for The Fed's longest-running television show, the Bella Twins, Nikki Bella and Brie Bella, were shocking removed from the show in favor of old-school stars like “Diamond” Dallas Page. But why? Did the duo spend too much time celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles win and have to cancel? Or was something far less savory afoot?

Taking to Instagram live on Monday, the sisters let the WWE Universe know what's up, and *spoiler alert* it wasn't something as tame as a travel issue.

“Another good memory on RAW, how didn't they showcase anything from the Women's evolution?” Nikki Bella asked. “It's because Sasha Banks is in it, and they're like, ‘we can't, Mercedes is too over, and we can't say her name.'”

“And The Bellas and Paige, there are a bunch of us,” Brie added. “And there's a couple other girls and ‘Raya who they don't want to show, but that's fine.”

“That's fine, Nikki concluded. When you do what they don't want you to do they don't show you.”

Oh no, are The Bellas, WWE's Hall of Fame duo who have been producing content for E! for what feels like forever, starting to peel away from the company that made them international superstars, immediately after a show where Kevin Patrick promoted Nikki's new show no less? Based on Nikki's further comments on IG Live, it sure sounds like there's some trouble in paradise.

Nikki Bella further expands on her WWE criticism.

With some time to compose her thoughts, did Nikki want to ease the tension and low-key apologize for her comments on RAW XXX? Nope, if anything, she doubled down on her issues with WWE's decisions.

“I want to take a second to get on and talk about a few things,” Bella said via Fightful. “First about, maybe a few wrestling headlines I saw. As you will see, the narrative will try to get changed so some people look good and others look bad. This is what is so amazing about this platform, we get to talk about truth. This week, from Monday until Thursday, Brie and I, and Artem (Chigvintsev), have been booked on crazy media because of the premiere of Nikki Bella Says I Do is Thursday night. WWE-owned show, which is why you see trailers on Monday Night Raw. We were hoping, I think it was weeks ago, we were talking about going to Raw. They said they had nothing for us. We were booked on media on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and then there was maybe an idea. Our whole team, including WWE and everyone else, had booked us for Monday in New York. Whatever you see of stuff, all of a sudden stories change, that's to clean up and throw it on people, nope. We had all these commitments per the company we work for and everyone else. I know people like to throw it on people, but I'm not going to let that happen.”

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Tony Khan with Nikki Bella on his left and Brie Bella on his right with the AEW logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Nikki Bella with a text bubble reading “It’s sad” in a WWE ring with the Barmageddeon logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

The Bella Twins, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, The Garcias, Nikki Garcia, Brie Garcia, WWE, AEW, The Bellas

Matty Breisch ·

Even if Bella will continue to work with WWE professionally, even if it's just through her current show, that isn't going to stop her from voicing her concerns when she feels performers, especially female performers, are being overlooked or aren't getting their fair shake.

“I also love the fans for sticking up for women,” Bella said. “There are so many crybabies, ‘Oh they just wine.' Let me tell you why people get upset. This is speaking on behalf of the majority of women. ‘Oh, they always make it about them.' No, just because we speak up, we're not making it about ourselves. It's about the women from the very beginning to the ones that are there. I understand why so many people are upset, especially our fans, when it's something like Raw XXX. I remember when I first started watching Raw, as you all know, some of you like to give me sh*t that I wasn't a fan the day I was born. I was obsessed with the matches with Beth Phoenix, Candice Michelle, Melina, Mickie James. That, for me and my era of wrestling when I became a fan, that was Raw to me. People have all their own memories, and that's why it's so important to have women represent because, for so many of the fans, they have their different eras of Chyna, Lita and Trish (Stratus), Melina, Mickie, Michelle (McCool), Beth, Candice (Michelle), those incredible women of that era. Then, our era with AJ (lee), Paige, Brie and I, and so on. I love that you're doing the hashtag and you're going to see a lot of narratives play because people have to protect themselves and you're going to get a lot of women blamed and people calling them crybabies. No, we put in just as much effort and work. All those women do, all of them, from every era. Not just women, men too.”

Should WWE have given more time to their former female stars? Considering Bryan Danielson and Chris Jericho were featured prominently in the marketing material, that answer is probably a resounding yes, but when you consider that WWE had to scrap the Becky Lynch-Bayley cage match because The Bloodline went over during their Tribal Court date, it's clear there's still plenty of room to grow.