Nikki Garcia, who married Artem Chigvintsev in 2022, has spoken out through a spokesperson after the Dancing With the Stars pro was arrested Aug. 29 for domestic violence.
Nikki Garcia is breaking her silence.
Following Artem Chigvintsev‘s arrest on a domestic violence charge Aug. 29, a rep for his wife of two years—who is mom to 4-year-old son Matteo—has shared an update.
“This is a private matter,” her rep told TMZ in an Aug. 30 statement, “and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
Chigvintsev was arrested on a domestic violence charge and was taken into custody mid-morning on Aug. 29, according to booking documents viewed by E! News. He was later released on a $25,000 bail in Napa, California. He was charged with California penal code section 273.5 (a)PC, which is related to acts of violence against a spouse or other cohabitant.
Shortly after his arrest, a mug shot of the 42-year-old was obtained by NBC News, in which Chigvintsev could be seen staring stoically at the camera in front of a gray background, with a grown out beard and a green plaid shirt.
Following news of his legal trouble, multiple outlets revealed that he would not be returning for season 33 of Dancing With the Stars. Chigvintsev had previously competed on 12 seasons of the show, and in fact met Garcia on set when she was his partner for season 25.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty ImagesChigvintsev’s arrest came shortly after the couple celebrated their second wedding anniversary on Aug. 26, which he commemorated on Instagram by sharing photos of their Paris nuptials, writing, “Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life without you. You are my everything.”
Garcia, 40, posted her own special message alongside a video of their special day, quoting Elvis Presley‘s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and adding, “This song is our love story.”
“I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem,” the Total Bellas star continued. “Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast. And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be.”
