Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev have split up after two years of marriage. Us Weekly confirmed that 40-year-old Garcia filed for divorce from 42-year-old Chigvintsev on Wednesday, September 11.
The day after filing for divorce, Nikki Garcia’s representative told Us Weekly, “Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She is asking for privacy for herself and her family right now.”
The news of their breakup comes just over a week after Artem Chigvintsev was arrested for domestic battery in Napa. According to jail records, the Dancing With the Stars pro was booked on a felony domestic violence charge on Thursday, August 29. It’s unclear if Nikki was involved in the incident.
A day later, Nikki’s rep said, “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
According to TMZ, Chigvintsev asked for medical help and claimed that Garcia (who used to wrestle for WWE as Nikki Bella) had thrown shoes at him. He later called back to say he no longer needed medical help.
The couple went on a trip to wine country together just days after their second wedding anniversary. Chigvintsev and Garcia, who got married in 2022, have a 4-year-old son named Matteo.
On August 27, Garcia shared on Instagram that she will always remember asking Jesus and God about Artem. She felt things were moving too quickly and was unsure about her feelings. Then, when the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” played, she knew she was truly in love with him and felt it was meant to be.
Chigvintsev posted a slideshow of their wedding photos with the caption: “Happy anniversary my love, I can’t imagine my life without you. You are my everything ❤️.”
Garcia and Chigvintsev met in 2017 when they were paired together on Dancing With the Stars. At that time, Garcia was still with her ex-fiancé, John Cena. After breaking up with Cena in 2018, Garcia started dating Chigvintsev.
In January 2020, Garcia announced that she and Chigvintsev were engaged after being together for less than a year.
She posted on Instagram, “I said yes in France in November!” She explained that they had been trying to keep their engagement a secret but were excited to share the news as the New Year approached.
After announcing their engagement, it was revealed that they were expecting their first child. They had their son, Matteo, in July 2020. Two years later, Chigvintsev and Garcia got married in France, and their wedding was shown on E! TV.
A year later, fans wondered if Chigvintsev and Garcia were legally married. Garcia cleared things up by telling Us Weekly in January 2023 that they are legally married both in France and in the United States. She explained that because their marriage records are kept private, some people couldn’t find them.
