Heavy Artem Chigvintsev is working in construction.
Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev apparently took a construction job, per court documents obtained by TMZ. The new gig came after the ballroom pro learned he wouldn’t be part of DWTS season 33.
TMZ reports that Chigvintsev’s ex-wife, Nikki Garcia, claims her ex feels the construction job is “beneath him,” but the ballroom pro has denied such. He says that he actually likes doing work in the DIY and construction vein, despite Garcia’s claims.
Chigvintsev was arrested over the summer on suspicion of corporal injury to spouse, following an argument between him and Garcia. On September 24, 2024, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley confirmed that criminal charges had been dropped.
“While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence. We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system,” Haley said in a statement.
Chigvintsev and Garcia tied the knot in 2022 and share a 4-year-old son together. In October 2024, TMZ reported that a judge granted Chigvintsev and Garcia joint custody of Matteo.
Artem Chigvintsev Claims He Lost More Than $100,000 From Not Being Able to Get a Job
As Chigvintsev and Garcia continue to hash out their divorce in court, more details are coming to light. In another update shared by TMZ, Chigvintsev stated that he actually lost work due to his August 2024 arrest.
He claims that he’s found it more challenging to get a job — though he has found some work.
“It is not true that I have not been able to find other work as a dancer. I normally start jobs in November and it goes for 20 weekends,” Chigvintsev alleged in court documents, per TMZ. “After the mugshot and the arrest based on her false allegations, I was taken off the website faculty list resulting in loss of over $100K in income,” he continued.
“I also lost the social media promotion revenue, which she continues to benefit from as she was more worried about her career when she lied to the police, than mine,” he added.
The decision for Chigvintsev to not be a part of DWTS season 33 was made prior to his arrest.
Fans Don’t Think Artem Chigvintsev Will Ever Be Back on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Despite the charges against him being dropped, Chigvintsev’s future with DWTS is unknown. For the most part, however, fans don’t think he’ll ever be asked back. Dozens of people took to a Reddit thread in August to discuss.
“I don’t think we’ll see him again. The best thing to do is just hope for the safety of Nikki and their kid, and hope that he grows from what he did,” one person wrote at the time.
“I think he’s done. Regardless of whatever else comes out with this news, he was also one of the older pros (I think the eldest actually). And regardless of whatever is revealed next, I still can’t see them having him back in future, there will always be this shadow over him with what we know now,” someone else said.
“Definitely not. He’s done. Shame he basically just threw away his career,” a third comment read.
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Effie Orfanides has more than two decades of experience in entertainment journalism. She has been a contributor with Heavy since 2017 covering entertainment news. Effie is based in Tampa, Florida. More about Effie Orfanides
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