Dancing with the Stars alum Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on August 29, 2024, for corporal injury to a spouse. He was released on $25,000 bail. Finally, the District Attorney for Napa County, Allison Haley, announced that no criminal charges would be filed against Artem. By that time, his wife, Nikki Garcia, had filed for divorce. The couple share one son, Matteo.
Artem Chigvintsev spoke out about his arrest
Artem issued a statement to People. “I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped. This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed,” the statement read. “My focus has always been and will always be, our son Matteo. I am hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on.”
While the domestic violence victim’s identity wasn’t released, Nikki asked for privacy at the time. Apparently, Artem called 911 during the incident. Afterward, the dispatcher reported that Artem claimed that Nikki allegedly threw her shoes at him during a quarrel. Later, when she filed for divorce, Nikki asked that neither party receive spousal support and asked for legal and physical custody of their son.
Artem Chigvintsev’s attorney discussed his divorce from Nikki Garcia
Ilona Antonyan, Artem’s attorney, also gave People a statement. “We can now focus on negotiating a shared 50/50 custody schedule. Fortunately, Artem has been able to spend time with Matteo almost every day since 8/29/2024 incident,” his attorney stated.
She continued, “My understanding of the investigated facts surrounding the 8/29/24 incident have led me to conclude from the beginning that Artem was not the primary aggressor. I believe that to be true even if the burden of proof would be the preponderance of evidence, which is the standard of proof in family court.” The attorney added, “He was protecting himself and Matteo.”
The statement continued, “I am confident he will move forward from this situation with strength and dignity. Artem is fully committed to fostering a positive co-parenting relationship with his ex. Divorce is never easy, but once custody is settled, the remaining issues tend to be less emotionally charged and easier to resolve.”
Meanwhile, Nikki’s representative did not respond to People’s request for comment.
Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars will return with two episodes on Monday, October 7, and Tuesday, October 8 at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.
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 DID YOU MAKE OF ARTEM’S LAWYER’S REMARK THAT HE WAS “NOT THE PRIMARY AGGRESSOR?” WILL ARTEM AND NIKKI’S DIVORCE BE AMICABLE?
