The end of 2024 is upon us, and it’s only natural that we look back on the past 12 months and assess the changes we’ve made, the things we’ve learned and what we hope to accomplish in the new year. For Nikki Garcia that’s no easy task. The former WWE star known as Nikki Bella divorced her husband, Dancing with the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev, following his arrest in August for domestic violence. She spoke candidly about the lessons she wants to take into 2025, delivering a strong message about not trying to fix people.
There have been accusations lodged back and forth between Nikki Garcia and her former DWTS partner — who began dating in 2019 when they were paired together on Season 25 the ABC dance competition — since his arrest. Garcia began looking for a divorce lawyer immediately, though Artem Chigvintsev has insisted he was not violent with his wife. In reflecting on the year, Garcia said on The Nikki & Brie Show podcast she’s realized how strong she is, and one big lesson she learned was:
We aren't here to fix other people, we just aren't. We're here to lead by example. We are here to teach our children, nurture our children, teach others, lead by example, but we are not here to fix. And it took me 41 years to realize that, and I'm definitely taking that into my 2025.
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev share one child, 4-year-old Matteo, so as hard as this breakup has been on Garcia, it’s not surprising that a lot of her focus is on her son. She spoke about the energy she’s put into trying to fix people, saying she’s learned you can show love and support “especially in relationships that you have,” but you’re not here to fix. Garcia issued some strong advice for anyone who might hear themselves in her words, saying:
If you're in that kind of relationship that you are fixing, you need to find your way out, because trying to fix someone isn't going to bring love and happiness and change. You're honestly, in the end, gonna drain yourself and just bring sadness. And so that hit me really hard, because I definitely am now in that space, and this new era of me in 2025 is no longer fixing. I will lead. I will help. I will support. I will love, but I will not fix.
That’s definitely some strong energy to take into 2025.
Nikki Garcia’s divorce from Artem Chigvintsev was finalized in November. A district attorney declined to file criminal charges against the professional dancer following his arrest, and both parties have since dropped their restraining orders against each other. Hopefully that means all involved are set to move into the new year in a healthy way.
