Nikki Garcia stepped back into the public eye for the first time on Monday, Sept. 2 as the co-host of Netflix’s live Labor Day event, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, in Las Vegas. Now that her work life has resumed, she may also be making moves in her private life. Less than a week after husband Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest for domestic violence, the 40-year-old TV personality is reportedly looking to end her marriage of two years.
Garcia is reportedly looking for a divorce lawyer, according to TMZ, and she has been on the phone looking for the right person to represent her since Friday. The attempts to end her union to the Dancing With the Stars pro came one day after he allegedly injured her after a dispute in their Napa, California home. Since the incident, the former WWE star has been noticeably not wearing her wedding ring, and that was quite apparent on the Netflix broadcast on Monday.
Chigvintsev is reportedly not living at home with Garcia and their four-year-old son Matteo, according to TMZ sources. He is staying with a friend in the area right now. Garcia’s first public appearance went off without a hitch and she looked at ease in front of the camera. “Thank you, everyone, I’m so happy to be here,” she said at the start of the live event. The audience indirectly acknowledged what she had been through over the last few days and gave her the warm embrace that she needed. “I love you, too,” Garcia shouted back.
While Chigvintsev’s arrest shocked many fans, an insider close to the estranged couple shared with the media outlet that their marriage was “volatile” and that other friends found the news “shocking, but not shocking.” In 2021, Garcia shared with Off the Vine host, Kaitlyn Bristowe, that they went to couples therapy to work out their communication issues.
“When he gets really stressed, he doesn’t realize his tone. We’re actually in therapy for this,” she explained. “I remember even in dress rehearsals, sometimes I’d be like, ‘Is he mad at me?’ It would make me feel really off and it would just be his tone.” Garcia recalled a moment during her time on Dancing With the Stars and how their rehearsal vibes were off. “He kind of made a comment about my jive and got really mad at me. And I was like, ‘You know what, dude? J.Lo and Beyonce don’t jive, and I don’t have time for this,'” she added. “And I walked out. And I got in my car, and I remember at the time calling [former fiancé] John [Cena] and going, ‘I’m quitting. I’m not going to stand for this. He’s a d*ck.'”
Garcia asked for “privacy” via her representative on Friday, but Chigvintsev has not commented yet.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of emotional or physical violence, you can get help. To speak with someone who is trained to help with these situations, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233) or chat online at www.thehotline.org/
