Dancing With the Stars’ Artem Chigvintsev sees a future with estranged wife Nikki Garcia even though she filed for divorce last month.
“Artem has wanted to reconcile with Nikki. He doesn’t want the family to be divided, and [would love] to put this behind them,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly, adding that Garcia, 40, has no interest in getting back together with Chigvintsev, 42. “Nikki wants to move forward.”
Despite Chigvintsev’s desire to reconcile, the insider says that the professional dancer will “respect [Nikki’s] wishes and boundaries.”
Garcia’s divorce filing came one week after Chigvintsev was arrested in Napa and booked on a felony domestic violence charge. The charges were later dropped.
Chigvintsev went on to file a restraining order against Garcia earlier this month, claiming that the incident that led to his arrest began when Garcia allegedly threw a pair of shoes at him. He then brought the pair’s 4-year-old son, Matteo, upstairs, prompting Garcia to allegedly push her way into their bedroom. They started fighting and the situation escalated from there, Chigvintsev claimed.
Chigvintsev spoke out about his arrest last month after the charges against him were dropped.
“I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped,” he wrote via his Instagram Story. “This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed.”
Chigvintsev added that his “main concern” is Matteo.
“He is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life,” he wrote. “I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support and care he needs as we move forward. I am hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on.”
Garcia, meanwhile, hasn’t publicly spoken about the incident or divorce. A second source tells Us that the WWE alum, who was previously known as Nikki Bella, “never wanted this to be public and has continued to ask for privacy for her and their son.”
As for where Garcia stands with Chigvintsev now, the first source says “there’s minimal communication” between the exes, but “they both want to do what’s best for them.”
Garcia and Chigvintsev met when they were partnered on season 25 of Dancing With the Stars in 2017. Garcia was engaged to John Cena at the time. Six months after her July 2018 split from Cena, 47, Garcia had moved on with Chigvintsev. Garcia and Chigvintsev got engaged in November 2019 and tied the knot in August 2022. Garcia commemorated the duo’s two-year wedding anniversary just one month before filing for divorce.
“I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem. Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast,” she wrote via Instagram in August alongside a video of the pair’s wedding day. “And then this song [‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’] came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be. 🙏🏼✨.”
For more on Chigvintsev and Garcia, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
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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