Heavy/ABC DWTS alum Artem Chigvintsev received good news in court.
“Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev has navigated major personal challenges in the past couple of months. According to a new report, he caught a bit of a break during a recent court hearing.
On August 29, TMZ reported that authorities in the Napa County Sheriff’s Office arrested Chigvintsev. The arrest came after he and his estranged wife, former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Nikki Garcia (formerly Bella) argued at their Napa home, reported TMZ.
People reported that Garcia filed for divorce in September, and Chigvintsev filed a response. The media outlet also noted that the Napa County District Attorney’s office announced on September 24 that they declined to file criminal charges against Chigvintsev.
TMZ reported on October 16 that the latest development in the case came from a court hearing both Chigvintsev and Garcia attended.
Artem Chigvintsev & Nikki Garcia Will Share the Custody of Their Son
According to TMZ, Garcia and Chigvintsev attended a court hearing on October 15. TMZ reviewed the court documents and reported that Chigvintsev and Garcia would share custody of Matteo, their 4-year-old son.
As TMZ noted, in previous legal filings Chigvintsev requested joint custody of Matteo. However, TMZ reported, that Garcia wanted sole custody. Garcia also requested that Chigvintsev have supervised visitation, reported TMZ.
In addition, according to TMZ, Garcia wanted Chigvintsev ordered to attend anger management classes.
TMZ reported that Chigvintsev testified during the October 15 court hearing, insisting he does not have issues managing his anger. The media outlet indicated the judge’s court order did not dictate that he had to take anger management classes.
However, according to TMZ, both Garcia and Chigvintsev were ordered by the judge to individually take parenting classes to better facilitate the co-parenting of Matteo.
Both parties are scheduled to return to court in December for their divorce trial, TMZ reported. The media outlet indicated the divorce trial was scheduled to take place over two days.
Fans Are Stepping up to Support the DWTS Pro
The TMZ Instagram post about the latest developments in Chigvintsev and Garcia’s relationship sparked a flurry of comments.
Recently eliminated “Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer Gleb Savchenko liked the post, although it appeared he was the show person to do so.
Savchenko previously spoke about Chigvintsev in a brief interview with E! News. Savchenko voiced his ongoing support for his long-time friend.
The two men have been friends for many years, and Savchenko was Chigvintsev’s best man in his wedding to Garcia.
Many Instagram users commented positively about Chigvintsev on the Instagram post.
“This says a lot. Good for Artem,” one Instagram user commented.
“Everyone was quick to blame him…can’t wait to hear it all come out,” wrote another.
“This is wonderful. Finally a woman getting caught up slinging false accusations and then playing victim. Meaning the whole time she hurt Art,” suggested someone else.
“Yay Artem! Shane on Nikki for trying to take his son away from him. It is so obvious how much he loves that boy,” read a separate response.
One commenter noted that ultimately, the recent court order was a win for Matteo.
Stacy Carey has been a freelance writer focusing on reality television and celebrity news for more than a decade. She is a Heavy contributor for The Bachelor, Hallmark and Dancing With the Stars. More about Stacy Carey
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