Earlier this week, it was announced that Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev had been arrested for “corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.” Artem is married to reality TV star Nikki Garcia (formerly known as Nikki Bella), and the pair share a son, Matteo.
The news surprised fans because the couple appeared so happy and in love (their social media are filled with loved-up posts and tributes). However, despite the public’s shock, those closest to Artem and Nikki have seen how their relationship was not without its issues. Sources told TMZ that the relationship was “volatile.” And the publication reports that the general reaction from friends and cast members was that the arrest was “shocking but not shocking.”
Why Are Artem Chigvintsev And Nikki Garcia’s Friends Not Shocked By His Arrest?
TMZ reports that sources close to Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia revealed that they “are not entirely shocked by Artem’s claims Nikki threw shoes at him during a heated exchange.” They also claim that they were “aware of past verbal altercations,” but there was no knowledge that the relationship had ever been physical before Thursday.
One of the couple’s biggest issues reportedly involved “issues involving control and belittlement.” However, at this time, there has been no update about the status of their marriage and how they plan to proceed (but all eyes are definitely on them as they determine their next move).
What Have Artem Chigvintsev And Nikki Garcia Said About Their Relationship?
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia first met in September 2017 when she competed in Dancing with the Stars (he has enjoyed tremendous success as a dancer). However, their relationship was platonic at the time (Nikki was previously in a long-term relationship with John Cena). It was not until January 2019 that they were reported to be dating.
Initially, they appeared to take their relationship slowly, but they announced that they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend in July 2019. Their timeline speeds up after this, with an engagement in November 2019 and a pregnancy announcement in January 2020.
“[It was] a total surprise,” Nikki told People of her pregnancy. “It took even me a good week to come to terms with like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m pregnant.’ I’m not ready for it.” She continued, “I can’t imagine life without being a mom and experiencing the miracle of life and raising a child. I’m just so family-oriented that I couldn’t imagine not having that family life.”
Although welcoming their son was a blissful moment for the couple, they would later reveal that they were attending the couple’s counseling, and in June 2021, they postponed their wedding. The wedding eventually took place in August 2022, and it was aired for those interested in an E! special, Nikki Bella Says I Do.
Their romance has not been perfect, but they did give fans a glimpse into their lives with their Instagram posts. This includes a touching tribute Nikki made to Artem four days ago to celebrate their wedding anniversary. She shared throwback clips from their wedding day and captioned the post with a lengthy message. “I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem,” she wrote in the caption. “Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast. And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be.”
Fans have reacted to the post with comments and questions about the domestic violence arrest. “Whos here after seeing artem was arrested for domestic battery hope nikki is okay!,” a comment reads. “Didn’t he just get arrested for domestic violence!?” another questioned. “Well this post didn’t age well. Hope you are ok,” another person weighed in.