Following his domestic violence arrest in August 2024, professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev claims he’s lost $100,000 in income. Even though he wasn’t asked back for the current season of Dancing with the Stars, there was always the possibility he could return in future seasons.
But after his now-estranged wife, retired professional wrestler Nikki (Bella) Garcia, accused him of domestic violence, Artem says his mug shot was all over social media. Artem’s job opportunities dried up, and so did his bank account.
The wide-spread circulation of Artem Chigvintsev’s mug shot cost him jobs
According to new court documents obtained by TMZ, Artem says that even though he lost his lucrative gig on DWTS, he was still dancing. He claims that he was regularly picking up dance jobs on Saturdays and Sundays. Each project he worked on lasted approximately 20 weekends. But after his arrest, those opportunities disappeared.
“I also lost the social media promotion revenue, which [Nikki] continues to benefit from,” he adds. “She was more worried about her career when she [allegedly] lied to the police than mine.”
As previously reported, the Russian national was arrested on August 29 after he and Nikki got into a physical altercation. Their four-year-old son, Matteo, was present in their Napa Valley home and apparently witnessed the fight.
The Napa County District Attorney declined to file criminal charges after an investigation. According to investigators, the case could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Shortly after the fight, Nikki filed for divorce from her husband of only two years. Not the former couple are battling it out in court over their shared assets and custody of their son.
Ironically, the couple first met on Dancing with the Stars when Nikki was partnered with Artem for Season 25 in 2017. At the time, Nikki was in a long-term relationship with wrestler-turned-movie-star John Cena. But when she and John broke up a couple of years later, Nikki reignited her relationship with Artem, and the pair soon sparked rumors of a romance.
Matteo was born in 2000, and the couple married in Paris in August 2022. The fight that ended their relationship happened just days following their second-anniversary celebration.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK ARTEM WILL EVER BE ASKED BACK TO DANCING WITH THE STARS? DO YOU THINK HIS DANCE CAREER IS OVER?
