Artem Chigvintsev Slams Estranged Wife As ‘Real Abuser’

The “Dancing With The Stars” pro dancer explained that he lost a lump sum in income since the arrest after an alleged domestic violence episode involving him and his former partner.

Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia’s marriage hit the rocks two years after they tied the knot at an elaborate wedding in Paris in 2022.

According to details from the documents filed on October 31 in Napa Superior Court, Chigvintsev explained he was let go from the show’s latest season due to the domestic violence case. He noted that the trauma of the arrest and false allegations led to him losing substantial income. He continued: 

“It is not true that I have not been able to find other work as a dancer. I normally start jobs in November and it goes for 20 weekends. After the mugshot and the arrest based on her false allegations.”

The former E! star added that he was yanked off the website faculty list, resulting in over $100k in income loss, which has seriously affected his financial status.

Chigvintsev also mentioned that he lost the social media promotion revenue, which the former wrestler continues to benefit from as she was more worried about her career than his when she allegedly lied to the police.

He wants Garcia to pay his out-of-pocket expenses because the TRO was granted without enough supporting facts. He is also demanding she pay his rent as he was kicked out of the house, per Daily Mail.

Chigvintsev stated that the former wrestler was “the aggressor” in their domestic violence dispute, which led to his arrest on August 29. He claims in the documents that Garcia has anger problems, stating:

“She is the one with the temper. I try to stay quiet and avoid it. She yells, and on 8/29/24, was yelling, pursuing me, and was the one who attacked me.”

The dancer backed up his claims by showing marks and bloody scratches on his elbow and hands as well as behind his ear that he claimed were inflicted upon him by the social media influencer.

Ilona Antonyan, his attorney, claimed that Chigvintsev contacted law enforcement on 8/29/24 seeking protection from his wife’s persistent aggression. The lawyer added that while he was on the phone with the police, Garcia accused him of attempting to ruin her career.

In September, Chigvintsev declared that he was very relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against him had been dismissed.

He explained how difficult the process has been for him but expressed gratitude that the truth has prevailed, adding: “My focus has always been and will always be our son Matteo.”

Chigvintsev considers fatherhood “the greatest blessing” and shared that his son remained his priority. “All along, my main concern has been for him,” she noted, adding, “I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support, and care he needs as we move forward.”

The celebrity remained hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement would help him and Garcia move on. Luck finally smiled on them when the judge ruled that the pair would share custody of their son Matteo.

The shared custody arrangement was announced after a 120-minute hearing at the Napa County, California, court on Tuesday, October 15.

The Blast noted that the judge ordered Chigvintsev and Garcia to co-parent their son Matteo without any uncomfortable strings attached.

In her divorce filing, the reality star asked for full custody of Matteo and for the Russian dancer to be granted supervised visitation and ordered to undergo anger management classes. 

While all her custody reports were thrown out, the judge charged the former couple to find common ground regarding co-parenting their son.

They were ordered to attend parenting classes and individual therapy to sort out their differences and prove that they had what it took to raise a child together.

The 42-year-old dispelled rumors of a reconciliation with the WWE star last month in a statement, “The reporting that I wanted to reconcile with Nikki is incorrect.”

Antonyan claimed that his client had not contacted the influencer since early October. Garcia filed for divorce in September, days after her estranged husband was arrested for an alleged domestic felony on August 29.

The dancer was released from police custody on the same day on a $25,000 bail. Napa County District Attorney Alison Haley announced the office’s decision not to press charges against the choreographer on September 24.

As for Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia’s divorce, a trial was reportedly scheduled for December and was expected to occur over two days.