The divorce between Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev is turning ugly. The former WWE wrestler filed for divorce from her Dancing with the Stars husband after his August 29 arrest for domestic violence. Although the charges were dropped against Chigvintsev, “there’s no going back” for the couple. Now, the soon-to-be exes are at war over custody of their son, Matteo, finances, and accusations over who was the “primary aggressor.”
This turn of events shocked fans, who thought the couple seemed perfect for each other. However, Life & Style reports that those closest to the couple weren’t surprised. A source tells the magazine, “Friends are starting to talk, most say it was no secret that Nikki and Artem disagreed a lot and butted heads often.”
They were verbally abusive towards each other and while the physical allegations were surprising, it wasn’t necessarily shocking to learn.
As for the couple’s divorce, the source expects it to get nasty. “It’s become a he-said, she-said situation, and neither one of them is backing down.
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev File Restraining Orders Against Each Other
On September 24, the charges against Chigvintsev were dropped due to lack of evidence. Later, his lawyer released a statement implying that Artem wasn’t the “primary aggressor.”
However, six days after the charges were dropped, Garcia filed a restraining order against her ex. According to TMZ, the Total Bellas star alleges that her husband had become “increasingly angry after being cut from Dancing with the Stars.” Despite efforts to help him control his anger, he continued “snapping at me and yelling.”
On the morning of Chigvintsev’s arrest, Garcia says Artem started yelling over the way she toasted an English muffin for their son. In retaliation, Garcia threw one of their son’s “toddler-sized shoes” at her husband’s leg.
Chigvintsev then grabbed their four-year-old son Matteo and ran upstairs with him. Garcia tried to get in the locked room but was “tackled multiple times” by Chigvintsev. At one point, he pinned her to the ground and “she felt like she was suffocating.”
A judge granted Garcia’s request, forbidding Chigvintsev from “contacting or coming within 100 yards” of his ex-wife and their son with the exception of court-ordered visits.
Meanwhile, on October 3, Chigvintsev filed his own restraining order, claiming Garcia was responsible for starting the incident. He even included photos of injuries that occurred during the assault from his ex-wife.
This is a sad and difficult situation for Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev. Here’s hoping the two can do what’s best for Matteo and themselves as they move forward.
