After an extremely messy public split,Artem ChigvintsevandNikki Garciahave finallysettled their divorce. The news comes two months after theDancing with the Starspro wasarrested for domestic violence. While local prosecutors dropped the charge, the formerreality competition starand former WWE wrestlerNikki Garciafiled for divorce in September 2024 and alsosought a temporary restraining order.
Chigvintsev and Garcia’sdivorcetrial was set to begin in December 2024. However, as reported byE! News, the couple, who share their 4-year-old son,Matteo,will not be going to court.Instead, they worked out an agreement in mediation to avoid an expensive divorce that was becoming “emotionally draining” for both parties. A spokesperson for Garcia confirmed that the reason behind the decision isher son’s privacy.The insider added that Garcia is extremelythankful to her fansfor all the love she has received during this difficult time.
A source toldThe New York Postthat things aren’t peaches and cream but they are “cooperating with one another and their relationship is very much a work in progress.”
The spokesperson also revealed that the former couple hasdropped their respective domestic violence restraining ordersagainst each other. For now, they are focused on moving on in their lives andworking together to co-parent their son. The quick settlement Chigvinstev’s representatives have not released a statement about the divorce yet.
Artem Chigvinstev Is Hoping To Return to ‘DWTS’
Nikki Garcia filed her restraining order against Chigvinstev on August 06, 2025. In the documents,she stated that her ex-husband had gotten fired fromDancing with the Starsa week beforehis domestic violence arrest. Garcia also stated that Chigvinstev had to start working a construction job to make money, but she claimed thathe felt like the job was beneath him.As reported byTMZ, the professional dancer responded to his ex-wife’s claims andaccused her of lying.In documents obtained by TMZ, Chigvinstev says that he actually enjoys working in construction. He shared thathe did the entire tiling in his and Garcia’s shared homeand even attached a few photos of his personal projects.
TheDWTSstar also revealed that he was still a working dancer and regularly picked up dance jobs on Saturdays and Sundays. However, he confessed thatit wasn’t easy for him to find a lot of job opportunitiesafter his domestic violence charge. Artem claimed thathe had lost $100,000 as a result of “Nikki’s false allegations”and had even stopped earning social media promotion revenue.
Despite that, Chigvinstev ishopeful about returning toDancing with the Starsvery soon. He was recently spotted in the crowd during thetaping ofthe show’s 500th episode, as reported byTMZ. TheDWTSalum was spotted standing next toPetra Murgatoydwho later posted a video of the two of them dancing on herInstagramstory. In an interview withTMZ, Chigvintsev’s attorneyIlona Antonyanrevealed thatthe producers haven’t asked him to join the line-up of the next season. But the dancer hopes that they will be open to having him back.
Dancing With the StarsSeason 33airs Tuesdays at 8 on ABC and Disney+.
Dancing with the Stars
U.S. reality show based on the British series “Strictly Come Dancing,” where celebrities partner up with professional dancers and compete against each other in weekly elimination rounds to determine a winner.
