Nikki Garcia Files For Divorce Following DWTS Pro Artem Chigvintsev’s Arrest
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After Dancing With the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest, many fans wondered if he and Nikki Garcia would stay together. There were clues that indicated a divorce announcement could be coming — and now there’s confirmation that Garcia officially filed for divorce.
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On August 29, Chigvintsev was arrested on a felony charge of alleged corporal injury to spouse after police responded to a domestic violence call. He was held on $25,000 bail and later released. On August 30, his wife, Nikki Garcia, issued a brief statement. “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” Garcia’s rep told Us Weekly.
Are Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia Still Together After His Domestic Violence Arrest?
On September 11, TMZ reported that Garcia filed for divorce from Chigvintsev, just two weeks after his arrest.
Prior to Garcia filing for divorce, there had not been any confirmation about the status of their relationship but, according to a report from TMZ, sources told them that Garcia was seeking a divorce lawyer.
There were also other signs that Garcia may have been done with their marriage. On September 2, Garcia made her first public appearance since the Dancing With the Stars pro’s arrest, where she was seen without her wedding ring. She and Rob Riggle hosted the live Netflix competitive eating special Unfinished Beef. After Riggle announced her, Garcia said, “Thank you everyone, I’m so happy to be here!” and told the audience, “I love you too.”
She posted about the event on Instagram on August 23, writing, “I am so pumped to be part of the ultimate hot dog-eating competition! ?????? This is going to be EPIC!! Tune in to watch Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef on September 2, LIVE on @netflix.”
Eagle-eyed watchers noticed that Garcia was not wearing her wedding ring during the appearance. She also wasn’t wearing the ring in photos TMZ posted of her boarding a private plane in California on August 31.
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A source told Us Weekly that Garcia was in “great spirits” while in Las Vegas for the hosting gig. “She was extremely friendly and seemed happy, as if nothing had just happened between her and Artem. Nikki put on a brave face and didn’t let the incident affect her.”
The insider shared that Garcia had her 4-year-old son Matteo with her, noting she was “attentive” and “seemed like a really good mom.” They added, “Nikki was excited for her job and kept smiling, and was in a great mood.”
Just days before the arrest, on August 26, Garcia celebrated the couple’s second wedding anniversary with a touching post. She included the lyrics to the Elvis Presley song “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which played over video from their wedding day.
She noted in the caption, “This song is our love story. I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem. Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast. And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be. ?????. Happy Anniversary @theartemc I love you!”
Following the arrest, former Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke shared some thoughts during her Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast. At a loss for words, she noted, in a clip posted on her TikTok account, “Artem, someone who I have grown up with, who actually… we used to live together in my family’s home in the Bay Area… 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. 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…”
The former DWTS pro added, “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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Chigvintsev’s former DWTS partner, Kaitlyn Bristowe, also weighed in during a September 2 Q&A on her Instagram Story. “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 explained.
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.”
“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,” she added.
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