‘DWTS’ Artem Chigvintsev Claims Domestic Violence Arrest Cost Him $100,000
Artem Chigvintsev accused ex Nikki Garcia of ‘anger issues’ in a new lawsuit.
November 7, 2024, published at 8:00 PM ET
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Chigvintsev was arrested in August on domestic violence charges, but prosecutors later declined to pursue criminal charges.
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The DWTS pro was arrested in Yountville, California on August 29 for domestic violence; However, Napa County prosecutors later declined to move forward with criminal charges.
In the aftermath of his arrest, Garcia filed for divorce and requested sole custody of the couple’s four-year-old son, Matteo, which was denied. Both Garcia and Chigvintsev were granted temporary restraining orders against each other, which have been extended until December 6.
The arrest of Chigvintsev, who has been banned from the current season of the dance competition show, has now caused trauma and impacted his livelihood.
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Garcia later filed for divorce and unsuccessfully requested sole custody of the couple’s son, Matteo.
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According to documents filed in Napa Superior Court in October, Chigvintsev stated: “It is not true that I have not been able to find other work as a dancer. Normally I start working in November and that lasts twenty weekends. and the arrest based on her false accusations, I was removed from the website’s faculty list, resulting in a loss of income of more than $100,000.
“I also lost social media promotion income, which she continues to benefit from, because she was more concerned about her career when she lied to the police than mine.”
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Chigvintsev accused Garcia of having “anger issues” and provoking the incident that led to his arrest.
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Chigvintsev has asked Garcia to be responsible for his charges, claiming the temporary restraining order was granted without sufficient evidence.
The professional dancer has demanded that his ex pay the rent because he was “evicted” and reimburse him for his legal fees.
He further claimed that Garcia had “anger issues” and was “attacking” him.
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Chigvintsev called Garcia “selfish” for keeping him away from his young son.
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His move continued: “She’s the one with the temper. I try to stay quiet and avoid it. She screams, and on 8/29/24 she screamed at me, chased me, and was the one who attacked me.
‘It is also a lie that I became increasingly angry, snapped and shouted at her.’
Chigvintsev insisted he was not the aggressor in the incident, adding: “I was not violent towards her and did not violently grab her or violently shout at her.”
He additionally provided context on how the incident began, which Chigvintsev said was due to Garcia “forgetting” about a surgery he had planned months in advance and booking a business trip to New York.
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He explained: “We had an argument but it’s not how she describes it. We had agreed months before my operation that she would be there with Matteo. I was supposed to fly to have my surgery on 5/19/24, she forgot and booked herself into work in New York.
“She then told me that her work was more important than my medical procedure, so she eventually left. Our son was left with the babysitter. I canceled my ticket and stayed behind. She then started texting me for another flight that I could take, So I ended up going because she insisted I go. I have text messages to prove it.”
Chigvintsev later charged, “I can’t trust her anymore. Not only did she lie to the police so that her career would remain intact, ruining mine, but she used the legal process to keep our son from me for almost a month, not letting me see him until this Court 15-10-2024 issued its 50/50 orders, for which I am very grateful.
‘Almost a month without Matteo was miserable for me, and I’m sure for him too, and selfish towards his wife.’
