Nikki Garcia, known professionally as one of the WWE’s Bella twins Nikki Bella, has mostly been laying low in the couple of weeks since her husband Artem Chigvintsev was arrested — save for her appearance as co-host of the Unfinished Beef hot dog eating contest. According to reports, she and the Dancing with the Stars pro have not been living together since domestic violence charges were filed August 29, and now she’s allegedly taken an even bigger step to distance herself from Chigvintsev: Bella has filed for divorce.
TMZ reports that Nikki Bella submitted paperwork September 11 to end her marriage to Artem Chigvintsev after two years. The couple were partnered together on DWTS Season 25, which aired in 2017, and began a romantic relationship thereafter. Bella has reportedly hired Evan Craig Itzkowitz to represent her. It’s unknown if they have a prenuptial agreement, but they do share a 4-year-old son, Matteo.
After the Barmageddon co-host was seen without her wedding ring on Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef (which aired live to Netflix subscription holders), it was reported that Nikki Bella had already begun looking for a divorce attorney. Artem Chigventsev allegedly didn’t return home after posting bail for the domestic violence charges, and insiders said he was staying with a friend while Bella and Matteo remained in the family home. A source for US Weekly said then:
They are not living under the same roof. Friends believe they will end up splitting. Nikki, [her sister] Brie and their family are too strong to let this slide and to let this kind of behavior be OK, especially around a child.
The arrest came just days after the former dance partners celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary, with Artem Chigvintsev posting an Instagram tribute to his wife saying he “can’t see my life with out you.”
Phone records indicate that on August 29 the Dancing with the Stars professional called 911 asking for medical help for an injured person. He later tried to cancel the request, but authorities responded anyway and allegedly found a victim with visible injuries on their body, which led to Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest.
The victim requested anonymity, but during the 911 call Artem Chigvintsev said he’d gotten “into an argument with his wife,” the dispatcher reported.
Former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke — a close friend of the ballroom expert, who said Artem Chigvintsev used to live with them in her family’s home — expressed “complete shock” over the allegations and sent well-wishes to all involved.
Actress Lea Thompson also provided a unique perspective, as she was the dancer’s celebrity partner on his first season of Dancing with the Stars back in 2014. She recalled Artem Chigvintsev being “so intense” during their time together, saying how badly he wanted them to do well on the show and how he would get frustrated with her because their dance backgrounds didn’t align.
Now that it seems his marriage to Nikki Bella is officially ending, we’ll have to see how the divorce plays out in court.
If you need help with domestic violence, you can chat with someone at thehotline.org, call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788. Confidential help is available 24/7 in more than 170 different languages.
