Dancing with the Stars alum Artem Chigvintsev has spoken out about his domestic violence arrest and estranged wife Nikki "Nikki Bella" Garcia's divorce filing. 

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Artem, 42, was arrested on a felony domestic battery charge in Yountville, CA on August 29 and released on $25,000 bail that same day, but it's unclear whether Nikki was involved in the incident that led to Artem's arrest.

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"I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped," Artem, 42, wrote via Instagram Stories on Wednesday.

Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley shared on September 24 that charges will not be filed against Artem following a "thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the DA's Office," according to E! News.

"We are required to prove any and every criminal charge 'beyond a reasonable doubt' which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system," Haley added in her statement.

"If the available evidence doesn't rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges."

About two weeks after Artem's arrest, Nikki filed for divorce from Artem on September 12 and requested joint custody of their four-year-old son Matteo.

Artem reportedly responded on September 13 by asking for joint legal and physical custody of Matteo, in addition to spousal support from Nikki.

"This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed," Artem continued in his Instagram statement.

The former Dancing with the Stars pro went on to explain how Matteo, who was born in July 2020, will remain his No. 1 priority going forward.

"My focus has always been and will always be, our son Matteo. He is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life," Artem wrote.

"All along, my main concern has been for him. 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."

Artem's lawyer Ilona Antonyan told Us Weekly that the pro dancer and choreographer was not the "primary aggressor" in the August domestic violence incident for which very few details have been publicly released.

"We can now focus on negotiating a shared 50/50 custody schedule. Fortunately, Artem has been able to spend time with Matteo almost every day since 8/29/2024 incident," Antonyan told the magazine on Wednesday.

"He is a very dedicated, interactive, nurturing, and loving parent. My understanding of the facts surrounding the 8/29/24 incident have led me to believe that Artem was not the primary aggressor."

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Antonyan continued, "I believe that to be true even if the burden of proof would be the preponderance of evidence, which is the standard of proof in family court. He was protecting himself and Matteo."

Antonyan added that Artem has a "strong support group of loving family and friends" by his side in the aftermath of Nikki's divorce filing.

"I am confident he will move forward from this situation with strength and dignity. Artem is fully committed to fostering a positive co-parenting relationship with his ex," Antonyan concluded.

"Divorce is never easy, but once custody is settled, the remaining issues tend to be less emotionally charged and easier to resolve."

Napa Valley Sheriff PIO Henry Wofford told Us after Artem's arrest that the pro dancer was "not fighting or combative" with police and was taken into custody "without incident."

While Artem was arrested on the grounds of allegedly injuring a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent, officials have refused to confirm anything about the victim in question.

The alleged victim reportedly "requested complete confidentiality" and so prosecutors will not be sharing details about the case. However, the case may be revisited if the court learns of other incidents or facts not previously known.

Nikki's representative told Us the day after Artem's arrest, "This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time."

TMZ recently obtained a 911 dispatch recording in which Artem can be heard asking for medical attention after Nikki -- a former WWE wrestler under the name Nikki Bella -- allegedly threw shoes at him.

However, Artem reportedly called the police back shortly afterward and said he no longer needed assistance.

Nikki and Artem, who got married in 2022, were celebrating their second wedding anniversary in Napa just days before Artem was taken into custody.

Nikki and Artem's relationship appeared to be thriving as recently as August 27, when Nikki gushed on Instagram, "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."

Alongside a clip from their wedding day, Nikki continued, "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."

Artem, for his part, posted a carousel of photos from his wedding day, and he wrote alongside them, "Happy anniversary my love, can't see my life without you. You are my everything."

Nikki and the pro dancer met when they were partnered together for Dancing with the Stars' 25th season in Fall 2017.

At the time of Nikki's Dancing with the Stars stint, she was engaged to her now ex-fiance John Cena.

However, after Nikki and John called it quits on their six-year romance in April 2018, Nikki began dating Artem and John seemed happy for them.

The former Total Divas star and Artem were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars during a double elimination on Season 25's Halloween-themed broadcast.

Nikki announced her engagement to Artem in January 2020 after the pair had dated for less than one year. Artem popped the question in November 2019 during a trip to France.

Artem and the former Total Bellas star then revealed they were expecting their first child together.

Two years after Matteo's Summer 2020 birth, the couple tied the knot in France for a wedding special that aired on E!.

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Artem is not competing on Dancing with the Stars' currently-airing 33rd season, but he did make it to the finals and finish the reality dancing competition in fourth place with The Bachelorette alum Charity Lawson last season.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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