As Artem Chigvintsev faces felony charges for domestic violence, the Dancing with the Stars pro’s aggressive past on the dancefloor is also coming back to haunt him.
Back in 2015, Artem competed on Strictly Come Dancing as the pro partner to author and TV presenter Fern Britton. For those on a certain side of the Atlantic, it’s the UK’s version of DWTS. Artem and Fern were partners back in 2012. A few years later, Fern opened up about her horrible experience working with him.
Artem Chigvintsev’s questionable past has resurfaced
After landing in jail for allegedly injuring someone, cops are investigating Artem to see if he has a history of violence with the victim. Meanwhile, Page Six has resurfaced these claims from Fern, which happened nine years before his arrest.
According to Fern, her time with Artem was nothing short of a nightmare. She said he would lose his temper constantly and get physical during rehearsals.
“[Artem] would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me,” Fern claimed.
She also said that Artem would threaten her. As if any reality TV show is ever that serious, he would get very obnoxious about Fern’s rehearsals.
She recalled, “He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you,’” she claimed. “I would say, ‘Oh please, just kill me, it would be easier.’”
After Fern slammed Artem for his bad behavior, he denied all of the claims. He made it seem like he was surprised to hear that someone was airing out his temper.
“I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am,” Artem claimed at the time.
Nine years later, Artem has been accused of domestic violence. He was arrested in Napa, California, and held on a $25,000 bail. Details on the arrest are still emerging as investigators work to determine if there were witnesses.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE RESURFACED CLAIMS ABOUT ARTEM? DO YOU THINK OTHER DANCERS WILL COME FORWARD WITH SIMILAR EXPERIENCES?
