Nikki Garcia's Heartfelt Way of Explaining Divorce to Son Matteo

Nikki Garcia is determined not to let her separation from Artem Chigvintsev disrupt the creation of cherished moments with their child.

Approximately two months following the WWE celebrity’s divorce from the professional dancer on “Dancing with the Stars,” she disclosed how they informed their 4-year-old son Matteo about the split.

She mentioned terms such as “divorce” during an interview with Us Weekly on January 28, but she only did so in response to his questioning.

Instead of dwelling on the worrying labels, the couple redirected their son’s focus towards understanding the practical implications of the separation. They prioritized co-parenting in a manner that would ensure Matteo could create the happiest family memories possible.

She went on, “It’s more or less been focused on each of us having our individual living spaces. ‘You’ll visit Mom, and you’ll visit Dad.’

Instead, they focused on co-parenting in a manner that ensured Matteo could cherish the happiest moments with his family.

Nikki mentioned that on Christmas, they ensured they were both present while baking Santa’s cookies. Matteo went to sleep, but they were there too when he awoke. They wanted to cherish these moments with him as he is their priority.

Apart from ensuring a usual festive atmosphere, the 41-year-old firmly believes that the 4-year-old is adapting quite well to their new circumstances.

“Matteo’s OK and not affected,” she noted. “So that makes it easy. He’s happy to go to both homes.”

How about this: “Regarding the adaptation process of Nikki and Artem? Nikki confessed that everything has felt a bit unusual to her.

She pointed out an unusual aspect of co-parenting: having a set schedule for time with their son. It’s surprising how it works – one moment you have your son, the next he’s with someone else. For her, this part is particularly challenging because she had never lived without him before. As a result, those days apart are incredibly tough since she enjoys spending so much time with her son.

The split between the duo occurred following an incident in 2022 where Artem, who is married to the Total Bellas star, was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence. However, no charges were brought against him. Troubles escalated legally when the WWE Hall of Famer filed for a temporary restraining order, prompting Artem to file his own days later to challenge her allegations.

Eventually, they mutually withdrew the domestic violence injunctions against each other and reached a divorce agreement regarding custody of their child, as stated by Nikki’s representative at the time, “in an attempt to progress with their lives and successfully coparent their son.” Despite past events, Nikki expresses no regrets.

She said to Us Weekly, “I don’t permit regrets of that kind.” She explained, “I believe that events unfold as they should. I am stronger now than I’ve ever been, not just for myself, but for Matteo too. Being a mother and ensuring my son has the best life possible makes me incredibly strong.

For more on Nikki and Artem’s legal battle since his arrest, keep reading…

Artem Chigvintsev was apprehended around 10 a.m. on August 29, as confirmed by Henry Wofford, the Public Information Officer for Napa County Sheriff’s Office, to TopMob News. Wofford mentioned that Chigvintsev, known from “Dancing With the Stars,” did not resist and was subsequently transferred to the Napa County Department of Corrections. According to online records, he was detained on a charge of felony domestic violence with a bail bond of $25,000.

The court granted bail for the dance professional, who was subsequently freed from detention at 2:18 in the afternoon on August 29th, as Wofford verified to TopMob News. At this point, no court date has been set.

In response to inquiries from NBC News, Wofford confirmed that Chigvintsev was arrested in Yountville, California, but he chose not to disclose the exact location out of respect for the privacy requested by the alleged victim. Consequently, the Sheriff has also withheld the name, gender, age, and relationship of the alleged victim to Chigvintsev. Wofford did, however, provide some insights about the arrest.

“When an individual is charged with felony domestic violence,” he explained to TopMob News, “it typically indicates the presence of a visible injury or credible eyewitness. Our deputies felt confident in making the arrest on felony domestic violence charges.”

He further noted that additional evidence could potentially lead to changes in the charge, but at the time of the arrest, the deputies deemed it appropriate for a felony rather than a misdemeanor. Wofford also emphasized the reasons why victims may choose to keep personal details confidential during such instances:

“Victims might not feel comfortable disclosing every detail immediately after the suspect’s arrest,” he explained. “They could feel embarrassed, intimidated, or concerned that the incident might affect their family. It is crucial for us to provide ample time and support so victims can understand that we are here to assist them.

According to an audio clip released by TMZ on August 30th, it’s reported that Chigvintsev initially called 911 seeking medical assistance due to an alleged altercation where shoes were thrown at him. However, he later informed the operator that no longer needed medical attention. Nevertheless, Wofford explained that authorities still conducted a welfare check as a standard procedure for domestic violence incidents. He stated, “Even if someone tells us, ‘You don’t have to come after all,’ we still carry out a welfare check. We won’t just halt our actions.

As of August 30th, there’s been no public statement from Chigvintsev regarding the arrest or the 911 call. Our team at TopMob News has attempted to get a comment from his representative, but we haven’t received any response yet.

Chigvintsev was arrested just about three weeks before the start of Dancing With the Stars season 33. Interestingly, this past Mirrorball winner, who’s graced the competition series for 12 seasons, wasn’t slated to participate in this season’s cast, according to Page Six and Variety. As of now, ABC has not responded to TopMob News’ request for comment.

A representative for Nikki Garcia, who partnered with Artem Chigvintsev during season 25 of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in 2017, commented on his arrest following his release and booking the day after. The rep asked for privacy for Nikki and her family, stating that this is a personal matter at this time.

Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest occurred three days after he and Garcia (parents of 4-year-old Matteo) celebrated their second wedding anniversary on August 26th. Artem posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, expressing his love for Nikki, while she shared a touching tribute to their relationship using lyrics from Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The couple got married in Paris in 2022, and this song holds special significance for them.

Following the arrest of Val Chigvintsev, someone I’ve known and shared my life with at one point, Cheryl Burke – a professional dancer who hung up her dancing shoes on Dancing With the Stars after 26 seasons – expressed her feelings. On her podcast Sex, Lies and Spray Tans, she admitted being in “complete shock” over the news. She added that it was difficult for her because he was like family to her. In the Aug. 30 episode, she said, “My heart goes out to everyone involved, I don’t know what to say here other than I hope everybody’s okay.” On TikTok, she also shared resources for those affected by such situations.

On September 24, 2024, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced that her office would not pursue charges against Chigvintsev, after conducting a comprehensive examination of the criminal investigation and meticulously analyzing the evidence presented to their office.

If you find yourself in a situation of domestic violence or know someone who is, remember that assistance is at hand. You could reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline by dialing 800-799-7233, or send a text with START to 88788, or navigate to their website at for more information and support.

On September 25, 2024, Chigvintsev expressed deep relief and heartfelt gratitude to TopMob News, as the domestic violence charge against him had been dismissed.

He confided, “These past times have been incredibly tough for me,” but “I’m grateful that honesty eventually triumphed.

The dancer expressed optimism about achieving a shared parenting agreement with Garcia, who filed for both legal and physical custody of their son Matteo in the divorce papers she submitted on September 11th.

Chigvintsev expressed that he’s eager to progress beyond this phase and concentrate more on what really counts – striving to be the finest father possible.

In response to an incident, Garcia secured a court order restricting Chigvintsev’s actions following her assertion in a request (obtained by TMZ) that he had tackled her several times and restrained her on the ground, with their child being present during these occurrences.

Following the event that resulted in Artem’s arrest on August 29, 2024, Nikki has chosen to apply for a short-term Domestic Violence Safety Order to safeguard herself and her child. According to a statement made to TMZ by Nikki’s representatives, while Nikki requested that the Napa District Attorney not press charges against Artem to avoid his incarceration, it is essential that he is held responsible for his actions, and Nikki and her son need protection.

2025-01-29 17:49

Nikki Garcia’s Heartfelt Way of Explaining Divorce to Son Matteo

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