Nikki Bella Confirms Split Rumors and Files For Divorce After Artem Chigvintsev's Arrest For Alleged Domestic Violence
Artem Chigvintsev accused ex Nikki Garcia of having 'anger issues' in a new court filing.
Sept. 11 2024, Published 8:16 p.m. ET
Nikki Bella has officially tapped out of her turbulent marriage to Artem Chigvintsev.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Total Divas alum filed for divorce in the wake of the Russian dancer's shocking arrest for alleged domestic violence.
Their volatile relationship seemed to hit rock bottom late last month when Chigvintsev, 42, was charged with causing corporal injury to his wife after they got into an explosive argument at their Napa Valley home.
The couple made their marriage announcement in August 2022.
Two days after her husband's August 29 arrest, Bella, 40, was spotted boarding a private plane in Oakland without her wedding ring.
According to TMZ, she began scouting for a divorce lawyer the day after her husband was handcuffed. The outlet said the TV personality filed her divorce papers on Wednesday, and seemed to have settled on hiring Evan Craig Itzkowitz as her legal representative.
It was not immediately clear if a prenup was involved.
Chigvintsev was charged with causing corporal injury to his wife after an incident on August 29.
Bella was reportedly at the family's home in Napa Valley with the couple's 4-year-old son, Matteo, while Chigvintsev was staying with a friend. He had been released from jail the same day he was arrested after posting a $25,000 bond.
The pair met on Dancing With the Stars, and after Nikki’s 2018 breakup with John Cena, she and Chigvintsev started dating in 2019.
They appeared to be thriving as the Burn the Floor cast member popped the question in France in November 2019, but they kept their engagement a secret until January 2020.
Their wedding plans were postponed by the pandemic and visa issues, but they celebrated becoming first-time parents with the birth of their son on July 31, 2020.
Bella was candid about her postpartum struggles at the time, however, and how they put a strain on her marriage.
They celebrated the birth of their son, Matteo, in July 2020.
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She explained: "He's like 'At times, I felt like you were starting to hate me.' He's like, 'You could be mean.' And I'm not gonna lie, I did have moments of being mean. I did have moments when I looked at him and I hated him. It's true. There were times I'd look at him and I'm like, 'I think I hate you.'"
After turning to counseling to mend their their rocky relationship, Bella said she and Chigvintsev had grown "stronger than ever".
In August of 2022, the couple announced they had finally tied the knot in Paris.
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