Nikki Garcia 'Asks For Privacy' After Artem Chigvintsev's Arrest on Suspicion of Domestic Violence
The 'Dancing with the Stars' pro received a felony charge of corporal injury to spouse on Aug. 29 in Napa Valley
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Artem Chigvintsev (left) and Nikki Garcia (right)Nikki Garcia is speaking out after husband Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
On Thursday, Aug. 29, the Dancing with the Stars pro was arrested on charges of corporal injury to spouse — presumably Garcia, although this has not been confirmed. In a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, her rep asked that the former WWE star's privacy be respected.
"This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” the statement read.
Chigvintsev was arrested and booked in Napa Valley on the morning of August 29, just two days after the pair celebrated their two year wedding anniversary. The Russian-born dancer was released on $25,000 bond later that day.
On August 27, Garcia took to Instagram to pay tribute to her husband. She posted a video of moments throughout their relationship, and captioned it in part with lyrics from Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
“This song is our love story,” she wrote. “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! ❤️🔥,” it concluded.
Chigvintsev also posted for the occasion, writing: “Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life with out you. You are my everything ❤️”
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The pair first met when Garcia was partnered up with Chigvintsev on DWTS in 2017, and at the time, Garcia was engaged to John Cena, but the two broke it off the following year and she and Chigvintsev began dating. The Total Bellas alum had previously opened up about the couple’s relationship issues, particularly after welcoming their now-4-year-old son, Matteo.
"We hear a lot of stories of where there's sacrifice in their own relationship because it's about the kids," she said on the Tamron Hall Show in November 2021. "Artem and I, from the beginning, want to know: How do we balance this for Matteo and for our relationship?"
Related: Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev's Relationship Timeline
A year later, Garcia explained that when she was a judge on AGT: Extreme, she and Matteo spent nearly two months away from Chigvintsev, contributing to their rough patch. By November 2022, she said they were doing better.
“It's been really hard on us,” she admitted, adding that things were "a little rocky for a bit," but the two have had "sexy FaceTimes" and were "stronger than ever.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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