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Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia unlikely to reconcile.
Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev and his soon-to-be ex-wife Nikki Garcia are unlikely to mend their broken marriage. The two have been at odds since a reported dispute landed Chigvintsev in jail.
“There’s no going back. Nikki doesn’t even recognize Artem as the man she married,” a source told Life & Style magazine. “Nikki and Artem’s relationship was volatile,” the source continued, adding that Garcia got to a point where she had “no choice” but to file for divorce.
Garcia filed court documents to end her marriage on September 11. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
“Nikki hoped that counseling would help get them to a healthier place. She didn’t want to break the family up, but then Artem crossed the line,” Life & Style’s source explained. “She just wants to end their marriage as quickly and painlessly as possible,” the insider said.
Chigvintsev and Garcia tied the knot in 2022. They share a 4-year-old son named Matteo.
Fans Reacted to the Report That Nikki Garcia ‘Doesn’t Even Recognize’ Artem Chigvintsev
On August 29, Chigvintsev was arrested in Napa County, California, according to a booking record obtained by Heavy. The 42-year-old is facing a domestic violence charge. He posted $25,000 bail and was released from jail a short time later, per a release report obtained by Heavy. While it’s unclear what happened at Chigvintsev and Garcia’s home, it was enough for Garcia to end their marriage.
Fans reacted to the Life & Style magazine report on a Reddit thread.
“This whole situation is crazy! I loved and rooted for them and never would have thought this would happen. I’m wondering if Artem will snap even more now that he has lost everything – his family, career, popularity, reputation, etc,” one person wrote.
“Whatever he did, it was done in the presence of his son. To me, that would end it right there,” someone else added.
“Of course she does not recognize him anymore he hit her! I used to love Nikki and Artem together, I really thought she found the one and never expected things to take such an ugly turn especially after they just celebrated their wedding anniversary,” a third comment read.
“This is so disappointing. I really loved them together at first but did notice some red flags in their interactions on Total Bellas and just his overall vibe. He seems like a very insecure person. I’m hoping Nikki and Matteo are safe and she has a good support system surrounding them,” a fourth Redditor said.
Nikki Garcia Has Been Leaning on Her Sister for Support
Although Garcia hasn’t said anything about her split from Chigvintsev (outside of her rep asking for privacy), sources that that she’s been leaning on her twin sister, Brie Garcia, for support.
“Brie encouraged Nikki to leave the marriage. Any sort of violence does not fly, and they were very worried about Nikki and her son,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. The source added that Chigvintsev “feels unprepared to deal with everything coming his way.”
The source also said that Nikki Garcia was left “scared and rattled” after the fallout with her husband of two years.
Meanwhile, Life & Style’s source also mentioned that Brie Garcia was somewhat worried about Chigvintsev.
“Like a lot of people, she found his, at times, controlling behavior troubling,” the source said.
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Effie Orfanides has more than two decades of experience in entertainment journalism. She has been a contributor with Heavy since 2017 covering entertainment news. Effie is based in Tampa, Florida. More about Effie Orfanides
