On September 24, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office announced they were dropping the domestic violence charges against Dancing with the Stars alum Artem Chigvintsev. Following a “thorough investigation” and “careful evaluation of the evidence presented,” the NCDA has decided not to pursue the case.
On Wednesday, Artem’s sister-in-law Brie Garcia, Nikki Garcia’s twin sister, expressed her feelings with a cryptic post on Instagram.
“The truth always comes out in the end, no matter how hard anyone tries to hide it or stop it,” said Brie’s post. “Lies are just a temporary delay to the inevitable.” She credited the quote to a Facebook group titled the Narcissistic Personality Disorder Mother Facebook Resource Page.
“Artem [Chigvintsev] was not the primary aggressor,” per his attorney
Though she didn’t specifically name Artem in the post, which has since disappeared, the intent was clear. Brie shared the quote after the Russian dancer broke his silence on the incident that took place on August 29.
For his part, Artem made a statement to E! News: “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.”
Artem also stressed that his “focus has always been and will always be” on his and Nikki’s 4-year-old son, Matteo.
Although officers never confirmed the name of the victim in the incident, Artem told Napa County Sheriffs in a 911 call that he and his wife had been arguing. Their son was also present at the time of the fight, in which Nikki allegedly threw shoes at her husband.
Following Artem’s statement to the press, his lawyer, Ilona Antonyan, released a statement to People. “My understanding of the investigated facts,” she said, “[has] led me to conclude from the beginning that Artem was not the primary aggressor. I believe that to be true.”
The argument resulting in Artem’s arrest took place just days after the couple celebrated their second anniversary. They met on DWTS in 2019 and married in Paris on August 26, 2022.
Nikki filed for divorce on September 11, less than two weeks later.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THE CHARGES AGAINST ARTEM WERE DROPPED? DO YOU THINK THE WHOLE STORY WILL EVER COME OUT?
