Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev's Messy Divorce Has Major Update

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Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev are looking to expedite their divorce proceedings.

"Nikki and Artem have settled their divorce and will not be going to court. Both parties decided to drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son," Garcia's rep said in a statement shared with Us Weekly on Wednesday, November 20.

The statement also thanked fans for their "love and support" for Garcia throughout this process, and asserted that the former Total Bellas star's "number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter."

Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia
Artem Chigvintsev (L) and Nikki Bella attend the PUBG Mobile's #FIGHT4THEAMAZON Event at Avalon Hollywood on December 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. In November 2024, it was revealed that the pair had both dropped... Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

On August 29, the former Dancing with the Stars pro was arrested and booked into the Napa County Jail on a felony domestic violence charge, with his bail set at $25,000, per online jail records. He was released on bail later that same day.

Just under two weeks after the news went public, both Chigvintsev and Garcia, 41, filed for divorce. Garcia was seeking full custody of the couple's 4-year-old son Matteo, while Chigvintsev requested joint custody.

On September 24, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley revealed that they had chosen not to file criminal charges against Chigvintsev. "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," the statement read.

"I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped. This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed," the dancer shared in his Instagram Stories following the release of the DA's statement.

On September 30, Garcia was granted a restraining order against Chigvintsev that prohibited him from coming within 100 yards of her or their son, with the exception being for visitation or exchange of the child per court-ordered visits, TMZ reported.

On October 4, Chigvintsev was granted a restraining order against Garcia. His filing alleged that she was the aggressor, and contained photos of marks on his body that he claims were caused by Garcia. His filing also alleges that Garcia's claims were "absolutely false" and that she had lied to authorities in order to get him arrested.

In November, Chigvintsev filed legal documents detailing the financial hardships he has allegedly faced following his arrest for domestic violence.

"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," he said in documents obtained by the Daily Mail.

"I also lost the social media promotion revenue," Chigvintsev said in the paperwork, in which he claimed that Garcia, "continues to benefit from [the social revenue] as she was more worried about her career when she lied to the police, than mine."

Garcia and Chigvintsev first met in 2017, when they were paired together on Dancing with the Stars — though the former WWE personality was engaged to John Cena at the time.

Following her split from Cena, rumors swirled between her and Chigvintsev, but they didn't confirm they were dating until July 2019. They announced their engagement in January 2020, and welcomed their son Matteo in July of that year.

The couple tied the knot on August 26, 2022, and their wedding was documented in a four-part special on E! called Nikki Bella Says I Do.

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