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Dancing With the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev is making bold claims against estranged wife Nikki Garcia following his domestic violence arrest in August.
Chigvintsev, who married Garcia in 2022, recently filed legal documents detailing the financial fallout from his highly-publicized arrest — while also claiming that the former WWE star, 40, "lied" to the police about the incident and alleging she is the one who "attacked" him. (Both Chigvintsev and Garcia obtained restraining orders against the other following the alleged altercation.)
"After the mug shot and the arrest based on her false allegations, I was taken off the website faculty list resulting in loss of over $100k in income," the 42-year-old dancer — who was not charged after his arrest — stated in documents obtained by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, November 6.
"I also lost the social media promotion revenue," Chigvintsev said in the paperwork, adding that Garcia, on the other hand, "continues to benefit from [the social revenue] as she was more worried about her career when she lied to the police, than mine."
Chigvintsev continued to claim that Garcia — with whom he shares 4-year-old son Matteo — is "the one with the temper" and was the one who instigated the alleged altercation back in August.
"I try to stay quiet and avoid it. She yells, and on 8/29/24 was yelling, pursuing me, and was the one who attacked me," he further alleged, while denying any violence from his end. "I was not violent with her and did not violently grab or yell at her."
He is also requesting Garcia pay for his rent and his lawyer's fees.
Chigvintsev previously accused Garcia of being the perpetrator in the incident after the Total Bellas alum — who filed for divorce from the DWTS personality in September — told her side of the story in her restraining order request.
Garcia claimed in court documents at the time that, following an argument, her now-estranged husband "forced me on the ground" and began "pressing down" on her sternum; she also claimed that he was aggressive towards their son, who allegedly told her, "Daddy hurt my hand." (In his own restraining order against Garcia, Chigvintsev alleged that his wife was the one to physically attack him following the argument and said he was the one who called 911.)
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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