Nikki Garcia’s Rep Addresses Artem Chigvintsev’s Domestic Violence Arrest
Garcia’s rep shared an update about her and her husband following his arrest in Napa, California.
A rep for Nikki Garcia is addressing her husband Artem Chigvintsev‘s recent arrest. One day after the 42-year-old Dancing With the Stars pro was arrested for domestic battery, a spokesperson for Garcia, 40, released a statement, obtained by E! News.
“This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” the rep told the outlet in a statement on Friday, August 30. Garcia and Chigvintsev share a son named Matteo together.
On Thursday, August 29, Chigvintsev was arrested for felony corporal injury to spouse or cohabitant, per TMZ. According to online jail records viewed by Hollywood Life, the pro dancer was taken into custody by Napa County police at 10:40 a.m. His bail was set for $25,000, and Chigvintsev was released at 2:18 p.m. that day. He has not publicly spoken about the incident.
At the time of publication, it’s unclear who the victim was in the incident.
Garcia and Chigvintsev recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary. Earlier this week, the Total Bellas alum shared an Instagram video commemorating their nuptials. Throughout her caption, Garcia recited the lyrics to Elvis Presley‘s song “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
“This song is our love story,” Garcia captioned her post. “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. 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. Happy Anniversary @theartemc I love you [sic]!”
In response to his wife’s post, Chigvintsev commented, “Love you,” with a red heart emoji. He also shared a tribute to his own Instagram account in honor of their anniversary.
“Happy anniversary my love,” can’t see my life with out you [sic],” Chigvintsev captioned his Instagram post, which featured a photo of him and Garcia in their wedding attire. “You are my everything.”
Cheryl Burke, a friend of Chigvintsev’s, spoke out following his arrest, according to a TikTok video she shared.
“Artem, someone who I have grown up with, who actually … we used to live together in my family’s home in the Bay Area,” Burke said. “Domestic violence and Artem don’t really … that’s why it’s so shocking.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.