“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev is no longer living in the Napa County home he shared with his estranged wife Nikki Garcia, following his arrest last week on domestic violence charges, while the WWE alum spent the Labor Day weekend contacting divorce attorneys and co-hosting Joey Chestnut’s latest hot dog-eating contest.
Chigvintsev has been staying with friends since his release from jail in Napa County last Thursday after posting $25,000 bail, TMZ reported. He was arrested earlier Thursday on a felony count of inflicting “a corporal injury” on an intimate partner, after he made a 911 call from an unspecified location in Yountville, requesting medical assistance and saying she threw shoes at him, TMZ also said.
Chigvintsev subsequently canceled the request for assistance, but sheriff’s deputies turned up anyway and took him into custody. Napa County Sheriff’s public information officer Henry Wofford told E! News that an arrest for felony domestic violence is usually made when the alleged victim has a visible injury. “Our deputies felt comfortable arresting him on felony domestic violence charges,” Wofford said.
Meanwhile, Garcia remains in the family home with their 4-year-old son, TMZ reported. She’s been “making calls” to attorneys with the intention of filing for divorce from the Russian dancer, TMZ added.
But Garcia, who competed as a pro wrestler under the name Nicki Bella, also took time over the Labor Day weekend to appear in Las Vegas on Monday, sans wedding ring, where she co-hosted Netflix’s “Joey Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” live hot dog eating contest, Page Six reported.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Garcia said, after being introduced by her co-host Rob Riggle.
The crowd was full of supporters, with one shouting, “Love you, Nikki.”
“Oh, I love you too,” Garcia responded with a smile, while donning a sleek red vest and matching slacks.
Prior to his arrest, Chigvintsev was not scheduled to return for Season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars,” E! News reported. His arrest certainly raises the possibility that he may never return to the ABC dance competition show.
His arrest also ends what appeared to be a reality TV-style fairy tale romance, involving the two celebrities, who met while appearing together the show. They partnered for Season 25 of “DWTS” in 2017, began dating and became engaged in 2020. That year, Garcia also gave birth to their son. They married in a lavish Paris wedding in August 2022 and purchased a home in Napa Valley, surrounded by a large plot of land, the New York Post and Life and Style reported. They showed off their home for a November 2023 episode of “MTV Cribs.”
But behind the scenes, the marriage was troubled and “volatile” for years, the couple’s friends and former “DWTS” cast and crew members told TMZ. The alleged strain between the couple was “evident” to anyone who was in their circle, TMZ reported.
The couple’s friends reportedly described their reaction to Chigvintsev’s arrest as “shocking but not shocking,” TMZ also reported. Sources also told TMZ that they knew the pair had a history of verbal altercations but were unaware of any physical fights between the two before his arrest.
Past reported arguments centered around Chigvintsev’s need for “control and belittlement,” TMZ reported. Garcia also revealed that she and her husband went to couples’ therapy because she didn’t like how he spoke to her at times.
Despite these alleged troubles, Chigvintsev and Garcia each made a show of paying tribute to each other, three days before Chigvintsev’s arrest, which was the day of their second wedding anniversary. They each shared images from their Paris wedding.
Garcia accompanied her video with a cover of the Elvis Presley song, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and wrote, “This song is our love story.” Chigvintsev replied: “Happy anniversary my love. Can’t see my life with out you. You are my everything I love doing life with you.”
