Nikki Garcia shed some light on her estranged husband Artem Chigvintsev’s possible emotional struggles in a recent court filing resulting from their alleged domestic violence incident.
According to former WWE and Total Bellas star Nikki, Artem was angry after he wasn’t asked to return as a pro for Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars. Nikki also claimed that since he hadn’t been able to find another dancing gig right away, he’d taken a construction job.
Nikki Garcia’s temporary restraining order filing against Artem Chigvintsev made claims about his post-DWTS demeanor
Nikki recently filed for divorce from Artem after their August 29 domestic dispute. Unfortunately, their four-year-old son was present during the incident. Both have claimed that the other was the primary aggressor.
According to PEOPLE, Nikki was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Artem on October 3. Artem was arrested In Napa, CA two weeks prior for accusations of corporal injury to a spouse, but the D.A. ultimately decided against filing criminal charges.
Nikki revealed in her paperwork that just one week before their domestic incident, Artem discovered that he’d been “cut from the upcoming season” of DWTS, after competing for 12 seasons. She also explained that he “had not been able to find other work as a dancer.”
Nikki insinuated that his DWTS ouster and his unsuccessful job search contributed to his alleged anger. “He had begun work at a construction job and felt it was beneath him. Since being cut from Dancing with the Stars, Artem had been growing increasingly angry, snapping at me, and yelling. We had discussions about his need to control his anger,” the filing read.
After Nikki filed her temporary restraining order, Artem filed one of his own. It was then granted on October 4.
The two have a full hearing scheduled on October 21.
Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars continues tonight at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK ARTEM’S ALLEGED ANGER STEMMED FROM HIS JOB TROUBLES?
