Nikki Garcia files to divorce Artem Chigvintsev weeks after his domestic violence arrest
WWE and reality TV star Nikki Garcia is filing to divorce husband and professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev nearly two weeks after he was arrested in California on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
According to court records reviewed by USA TODAY, on Wednesday Garcia – whose legal name is Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace – submitted a filing to dissolve her two-year marriage. The couple, who was partnered on "DWTS" in 2017 and married in 2022, share a 4-year-old son, Matteo Artemovich.
“Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce," a rep for Garcia confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday. "She continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Chigvintsev for comment. TMZ was first to report the news.
The 42-year-old dancer was arrested around 10 a.m. on Aug. 29 and booked in Napa County jail. He was being held on $25,000 bail and was released more than three hours later.
Nikki Garcia requests full custody of son
According to TMZ and People, in her court filing Garcia cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce and said Aug. 29 – the date of Chigvintsev's arrest – was the day they separated. She also requested legal and physical custody of their young son, the outlets report, while keeping the door open for visitation rights for Chigvintsev.
Neither has publicly commented on the former "DWTS" pro's arrest, though Garcia has made a public appearance at Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi's hot dog eating competition over Labor Day weekend.
Chigvintsev, who won Season 29 of "DWTS" with Kaitlyn Bristowe in 2020 and came in fourth place with Charity Lawson last season, has been on the ABC competition show for a decade, except for a hiatus during the 2019 season. He was not part of the Season 33 cast announced last week.
Days before Chigvintsev's arrest, the two celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
On Aug. 26, Garcia shared the lyrics to "Can't Help Falling in Love" in the caption of a video showing footage from their wedding day and wrote, "This song is our love story. 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. And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be."
If you are a victim of domestic violence, The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org) allows you to speak confidentially with trained advocates online or by the phone, which they recommend for those who think their online activity is being monitored by their abuser (800-799-7233). They can help survivors develop a plan to achieve safety for themselves and their children.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikki Garcia divorces Artem Chigvintsev weeks after his arrest
