Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Janet Gough/AFF-USA.COM/MEGA
Nikki Garcia revealed her date of separation from Artem Chigvintsev while filing for divorce from the Dancing With the Stars pro.
Per court documents obtained by TMZ, Garcia, 40, listed their split date as August 29 — the same day Chigvintsev, 42, was arrested for domestic battery. She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason behind their divorce.
The retired WWE star (formerly known as Nikki Bella) asked the court not to award spousal support to neither her nor Chigvintsev. She also requested sole legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old son, Matteo.
Us Weekly confirmed that Garcia filed to dissolve her and Chigvintsev’s marriage on Wednesday, September 11. The following day, Garcia’s rep told Us in a statement, “Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev started dating following her broken engagement to ex John Cena — but their romance ended in September 2024. Nearly seven months after Garcia, who once wrestled under the name Nikki Bella, and Cena split for good in July 2018, Us Weekly confirmed that she and the Dancing With the Stars […]
The filing came over one week after Chigvintsev was booked on a felony domestic violence charge in Napa. Per online jail records, bail was set for $25,000 and he was released the afternoon of August 29. Garcia’s rep told Us in a statement, “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
The charges fall under section 273.5(a) of the California Penal Code, which states that the incident includes a person who has injured a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent.
Following the incident, Napa Valley Sheriff PIO Henry Wofford told Us that the victim “requested complete confidentiality.” The sheriff added, “We also had an opportunity to speak to the victim and the suspect was arrested without incident.” The sheriff claimed that Chigvintsev “was not fighting or combative” during the arrest.
Per a 911 dispatch tape obtained by TMZ late last month, Chigvintsev initially requested medical attention and accused Garcia of throwing shoes at him.
Prior to marrying Nikki Garcia in August 2022, Artem Chigvintsev — who shares son Matteo with the former WWE personality — dated others in the spotlight before settling down. The Russian-born dancer was part of Burn the Floor and Strictly Come Dancing before joining Dancing With the Stars for season 18 in 2014. Most of […]
“Initially came in as requesting medical, but now he is stating he got into an argument with his wife and his wife threw shoes at rp [reporting party],” the dispatcher said on the call, noting that “there is a child on scene.”
The dispatcher added that there was “medical en route” and “there’s an active 415 [disturbing the peace] in the background responsible.”
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia. Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Chigvintsev tried to cancel his 911 call by saying he didn’t need medical attention. “RP is stating no medical is needed now,” the dispatcher said.
Police arrived on the scene an hour later, where they found an individual with visible injuries. It is not confirmed whether Garcia was the victim.
ABC/Craig Sjodin Artem Chigvintsev has been a staple on Dancing With the Stars since 2014. Artem, who previously won the U.K.’s Strictly Come Dancing with Kara Tointon, was initially tapped to join the DWTS troupe for season 18. The next year, he was tasked with teaching Back to the Future star Lea Thompson how to […]
In the wake of Chigvintsev’s arrest, a source exclusively shared in the latest issue of Us that the twosome “are not living under the same roof.”
“Nikki, [her sister] Brie and their family are too strong to let this slide and to let this kind of behavior be OK,” the insider added, “especially around a child.”
Garcia met while she was a contestant on DWTS season 25 in 2017 and was engaged to John Cena. (The pair split the following year.) Garcia and Chigvintsev reconnected and got engaged in January 2020 and tied the knot in August 2022.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.