Nikki Garcia – formerly known as Nikki Bella, of WWE and The Bella Twins – has filed for divorce from her former Dancing With The Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev.
Editor’s note:
This article contains mentions of domestic violence, or may be otherwise triggering to survivors. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit thehotline.org to connect with confidential help. Assistance is available 24/7/365.
On August 29, reality TV fans were shocked when Artem was arrested on a suspicion of felony domestic violence charge, and booked into jail in Napa.
Nikki and Artem met during Season 25 of Dancing With The Stars in 2017, but at the time, she was engaged to fellow wrestling champion John Cena.
Nikki and John ended their six-year relationship in 2018, and Nikki and Artem got together in 2019.
Their relationship was passionate in the beginning, and in March 2020, Nikki gushed about Artem on Instagram, writing in part:
“They say love conquers all … and it sure does. So many people in the beginning said it was just lust, my feelings weren’t real, it was just the dance, the infatuation, the mystery of this person, but I knew & felt it was always more … When I finally got the chance, & maybe because I was so broken, I tried to fight a very powerful love, deny it, walk away from it, & yet this beautiful gift of love wouldn’t let me walk away, this love that I always wanted.
“Now I didn’t expect to get so much of what I had been praying for in a year lol but I finally opened up my eyes, my heart, & accepted this beautiful gift. And now I have the most beautiful gift of all coming in August, my baby. (Goodness I love saying that!!) … I’m so glad I took the chance on you Artem & that you are brave enough to show the world our love, our ups & downs, & all the beautiful imperfections in between.”
Recently, Nikki’s ex-fiance John Cena disclosed that he doesn’t want to be a father, and Nikki’s comments above allude to potential incompatibilities in that regard.
In 2020, Nikki and Artem’s now four-year-old son Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev was born, and they married in August 2022.
On their first wedding anniversary in August 2023, Nikki marked the day on Instagram, writing:
I fall more in love with you every day. You are everything I could have dreamed of. I love doing life with you.
For a long time, Nikki and Artem seemed incredibly happy and in love — but when news of his arrest broke, anonymous sources said the pair were “volatile” together.
By September 1, Nikki had removed her wedding ring.
Within days, it was rumored she was pursuing a divorce, and a Strictly Come Dancing contestant came forward with anecdotes about Artem’s temper, saying:
[Artem] would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me. He was like: ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you.’
Less than a week ago, Artem deleted and restored a reference to his marriage on Instagram, fueling speculation about whether they’d separated.
Nikki’s Divorce Petition Seeks Custody Of Their Son
Nikki filed for divorce on September 11, per Napa County Superior Court’s online records.
A representative for Nikki issued a statement to several media outlets, confirming her divorce filing:
“Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
On September 12, TMZ obtained details of Nikki’s petition for divorce, which identified August 29 – the date on which Artem was booked on suspicion of felony domestic violence – as the date of their separation.
Nikki cited “irreconcilable differences” as her grounds for divorce, and TMZ indicated she sought primary custody of their son, Matteo:
“As for their son, Matteo, who turned 4 in July … Nikki wants legal and physical custody, but is open to Artem getting visitation rights.”
As for Artem’s arrest, police in Napa have said their investigation is ongoing, with few details available at press time.