Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella’s marriage was ‘volatile’ for years before domestic violence arrest: report
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella’s marriage was reportedly troubled for years before his arrest for alleged domestic violence.
The “Dancing With the Stars” pro was booked on Thursday, August 29, on a charge of felony domestic violence in Napa, California, where he lives with his wife, Nikki Bella (aka Nikki Garcia), and their four-year-old son, Matteo.
Chigvintsev and Bella’s relationship has been “volatile” for a long time, according to the couple’s friends and former “DWTS” cast and crew members who spoke to TMZ.
“Artem and Nikki’s marriage has been troubled for some time,” the outlet claims, citing anonymous sources who say the alleged strain in the relationship was evident to anyone in their circle.
The couple’s friends reportedly described their reaction to Chigvintsev’s arrest as “shocking but not shocking.”
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 the alleged incident on Thursday that led to Chigvintsev’s arrest.
Past alleged arguments reportedly centered around “control and belittlement.”
Bella has previously said that she and Chigvintsev went to couples’ therapy because she didn’t like how her husband spoke to her at times.
Chigvintsev is reportedly not living in the couple’s marital home following his arrest, and their son is staying with Bella, per TMZ.
Chigvintsev and Bella met when she was a contestant on “DWTS” in 2017.
The alleged victim in this incident also requested their identity be kept totally confidential, Napa County spokesperson Henry Wofford told The Post on Thursday; however, California law prohibits law enforcement from disclosing the identities of victims in all domestic violence cases.
Bella was connected to an alleged altercation at her and her husband’s Napa home in the lead-up to his arrest, according to 911 dispatch audio that surfaced Friday. Chigvintsev was the one to make an initial call requesting medical assistance, per the tape first obtained by TMZ, saying that his wife had thrown shoes at him.
Chigvintsev was released from jail on Thursday, August 29, at 2:17 p.m. PT after his bail was set at $25,000. He was arrested earlier in the day, just before 10 a.m. PT. His mugshot was also released on Thursday; however, he has not spoken out publicly about the incident.
Bella finally broke her silence on Friday. A rep for the “Total Divas” star told The Post, “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
Chigvintsev’s longtime friend and former “DWTS” co-star Cheryl Burke shared her reaction to the dance pro’s arrest in the Friday, August 30, episode of her “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans” podcast. “I am in complete shock,” she said. “Artem — it’s so shocking; I get kind of emotional.”
Chigvintsev and Bella had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary three days before he was arrested.
In a post on Instagram, the former WWE star gushed over her husband. In the caption accompanying a highlight reel of moments from the couple’s 2022 wedding in Paris set to Hailey Reinhart’s rendition of “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Bella explained how she knew “it was all meant to be.”
Despite having appeared on all but two seasons of “DWTS” since he joined the program’s stable of recurring dance pros in 2014, Chigvintsev will not be returning for the show’s upcoming Season 33. The decision not to invite him back was allegedly made by execs before his arrest on Thursday.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
