John Cena says he still loves ex-fiancee Nikki Bella

LAS VEGAS – John Cena says he still loves Nikki Bella after their sudden split earlier this month.

“I love Nicole with all my heart, and the split is very tough,” the wrestler-turned-actor told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “But that’s life. We all go through highs, we all go through lows. I’m going to get through it. I love her. I’ll always love her. The fact that my heart hurts for her — I know I was in love. So I’ll always have that.”

The 41-year-old performer was promoting the “Transformers” spinoff movie “BumbleBee” at CinemaCon, the Las Vegas convention for theatre owners.

The couple had been together for six years and got engaged a year ago on live TV during the WWE’s Wrestlemania. They often took their relationship public, canoodling on red carpets and talking about each other in interviews.

Cena has made a successful transition from the WWE to acting, appearing in movies like “Trainwreck” and the recent R-rated comedy “Blockers.” Bella stars in a reality TV show on E! called “Total Bellas” with her twin sister, Brie.