Nikki Bella has been back in the WWE fold during the summer of 2025, specifically for the all-women Evolution premium live event. However, her run has since been extended as she’s been sporadically showing up on Monday Night Raw programming. Besides this, the popular WWE Superstar has also been attending media events hosted by the WWE for premium live events.
In one such appearance during WWE SummerSlam 2025 weekend, Nikki Bella went viral for a “prom pose” photo that she took with a fan. Many couldn’t help notice how non-PG the photo looked after the fans convinced his favorite superstar to do a certain pose with him that’s famous across the United States and beyond as the “prom pose.”
On the Nikki & Brie Show podcast, Brie Bella brought up the topic, saying, “So, you know that photo that went viral with you and the fan from Fanatics?” Nikki Bella responded with a laugh and addressed the ongoing online controversies around the photo, “Where it looks like I’m getting pounded from behind? Is that even appropriate to say?”
The fan in that photo was identified as Brian Lema, and Brie admitted her first reaction after spotting that pose was pure shock: “Did Nikki let someone just hold her that tight from behind?”
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"Well, I do feel like from now on, there’s going to have to be a no prom pose rule."
Nikki Bella said it was with her full consent and saw nothing inappropriate, but confirmed the pose will be banned in future fan interactions. pic.twitter.com/dxOc3PPl3g
— THE PG ERA (@thepgeraa) August 13, 2025
Nikki Bella offers her explanation behind prom-pose photo with fan
This led Nikki Bella to explain that Lema had only politely asked for a prom-style pose and that she’s agreed to similar requests in the past. At that moment, it never felt appropriate to the veteran WWE female superstar, “I’ve done it a bunch of times. You guys, I didn’t feel anything. It never felt inappropriate. It didn’t feel like what the photo looks like.”
With Brie continuing to oppose the inappropriate pose done by her sister, Nikki Bella further explained, saying that the fan’s posture and her baggy pants might have created an illusion. It was further clarified that the fan never showed any ill intention at that spot and that the photo didn’t reflect any disrespectful nature of interaction, as well.
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“Because if I ever felt it was inappropriate, I would go straight to my rep and say, ‘Hey, that was really inappropriate.’ I didn’t have that at all. And he was actually – unless I’m being played – a very sweet guy with a really touching story. He’s watched us from day one,” added Nikki Bella, noting that this was the last prom-pose photo that she was doing in a fan-meet session, “There’s going to have to be a no prom pose rule.”