The former WWE star got candid on the Oct. 4 episode of the sisters’ joint podcast, The Nikki & Brie Show, saying that she’s “looked at trauma in the face” as she reflected on the past week, which she called, “so hard.”
Brie Garcia is opening up about the emotional past weeks for her family amid her sister Nikki Garcia’s divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.
On Thursday’s episode of the sisters’ joint podcast The Nikki & Brie Show, Brie said she’s “looked at trauma in the face” as she admitted, “The last week has been so hard.”
“All you wanna do is help. You want it to stop, but you realize it’s not your trauma, especially if you’re not the one dealing with it and you’re seeing someone else [deal with it]. It’s not for you to fix,” Brie said, seemingly making reference to her sister’s on-going legal battle with Chigvintsev who was arrested following an incident in their home on Aug. 29.
Chigvintsev was arrested on charges of corporal injury to a spouse, though the Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced on Sept. 24 that her office had declined to file criminal charges against the former Dancing with the Stars pro.
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Nikki would go on to file for divorce just days later on September 11, listing the couple’s day of separation as the day of the arrest. She is also seeking legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old son Matteo. The former WWE star has since filed a restraining order against Chigvintsev, alleging several claims of domestic abuse, only for Chigvinstev to file a counter claim.
In new legal documents, obtained by TMZ, Chigvinstev claims Nikki was the aggressor with anger issues that led to his arrest, ultimately destroying their 2-year marriage.
He also filed photos with the court, allegedly showing injuries to his hand, elbow and the back of his head, claiming Nikki was responsible for it all.
They are both due in court for a full hearing on October 21.
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On their podcast, Brie said she feels such a “sadness” over an upheaval in their family that she could only compare it to a “death.”
“I have felt sadness in ways that maybe death could compare. I literally have lost sleep. I lay in my bed with my eyes open, and I think and I just think and think, and I think of so many different things….. But the major thing I think of is: How can I fix [things] and how can I help?” she told listeners.
Brie also reflected on the importance of “taking accountability” after making a mistake, as she said, “If you do not take accountability of your mistakes, you will be exposed. I will let you know that. I know it.”
“And I will say, lies will eat you up,” she continued. “You’re always gonna get caught. No one ever runs away free without getting caught. Right? Lies will not only personally eat you up, but in the end, they’ll always expose you. And you have to remember that.”
While didn’t mention Nikki or Artem by name while discussing the aforementioned trauma and sadness, she did mention her sister as she gave advice to listeners “who are going through trauma right now who don’t feel seen or heard.”
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“I want you to know that Nikki, myself, and a whole army of women are here to support and help you, give you strength, give you confidence. Don’t take the s–t anymore,” Brie said.
Brie, who has been doing the podcast solo since the August 29 incident, also gave fans an update on when Nikki will be back on-air, teasing, “Nikki will be returning soon.”
“Not gonna give the exact date because just like life, we never know what’s around the corner, right?,” she added. “But, she will be back soon.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages; Calls are confidential and toll-free.
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