Artem Chigvintsev’s Ex-Dancing With the Stars Partner Weighs in on His Arrest After Previously Calling Him ‘Angry’
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Following news of Dancing With the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev‘s arrest, one of his former partners weighed in with her thoughts. While Kaitlyn Bristowe, who danced with Chigvintsev in Season 29, kept her comments brief, she did express her hope that “everybody’s OK.”
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Bristowe, who starred on The Bachelorette Season 11, was paired with Chigvintsev in 2020 and the two won the Dancing With the Stars mirrorball trophy. On August 29, Chigvintsev was arrested for alleged corporal injury to spouse following a domestic violence call. His wife, Nikki Garcia, released a brief statement asking for privacy at this time.
During a September 2 Q&A on her Instagram Story, Bristowe shared her feelings about Chigvintsev’s arrest. “My thought on this is that I am not going to say anything until they are ready to say something. They have asked for privacy and when people ask for privacy, I find media outlets and everybody has an opinion,” she said.
Bristowe continued, “My only thought is that domestic violence is so unacceptable and so scary and so sad. And I hope everybody’s okay. My heart goes out to little Matteo.”
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“I’m just praying for all of them to either get better or to find peace and space and help and I just find this really tough to talk about ‘cuz it makes me very sad,” Bristowe added.
During a July 2022 interview on Melissa Joan Hart’s podcast What Women Binge, Bristowe shared some revealing insight about her former dance partner, calling him “cut-throat” and “angry.”
“I think he was going through stuff in his own personal life and I was, like, so giddy to be in there, and he was going through so much on the outside world,” she explained.
In an October 2022 interview with Us Weekly, Bristowe noted that their relationship had just been “business” and they didn’t remain close after winning DWTS. “You know, what’s funny is I actually feel like Artem and I had — it [was] like a business,” she said. “And then we moved forward, and I haven’t really talked to him, which is kind of sad. I don’t know. He’s busy… he’s dancing every day. He’s got a little sweet boy at home, and he just got married, which I was so excited for them.”
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Someone who has been very close with Chigvintsev over the years, former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke, spoke out following the arrest. In a clip from the Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast posted on Burke’s TikTok account, she discussed her shock over the news.
“Artem, someone who I have grown up with, who actually… we used to live together in my family’s home in the Bay Area…” she said. “I get kind of emotional.” Burke continued, “So he was arrested today, Thursday, and Variety confirmed as well that he was not set to be part of season 33.”
She added, “My heart goes out to everyone involved. This is really hard for me because he was my family, and I don’t know what to say here other than I hope everybody’s okay. I just hope his kid’s okay. I hope everyone, his wife, and…” At a loss for words, Burke explained, “This is kind of shocking still for me. Domestic violence and Artem don’t really… that’s why it’s so shocking.”
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