Dancing With the Stars alum Artem Chigvintsev claims that his potential earnings were affected by his recent domestic violence arrest.
“It is not true that I have not been able to find other work as a dancer. I normally start jobs in November and it goes for 20 weekends,” Chigvintsev, 42, alleged in recently filed court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. “After the mugshot and the arrest based on her false allegations, I was taken off the website faculty list resulting in loss of over $100K in income.”
News broke in August that Chigvintsev had been arrested following an alleged altercation with now-estranged wife Nikki Garcia. Chigvintsev was released on bail the same day, one month before a judge declined to charge the Russian dance pro.
Since the arrest, Chigvintsev and Garcia, 40, have each filed for divorce. (The former wrestler is seeking full custody of their 4-year-old son, Matteo, while Chigvintsev requested joint custody.)
In Chigvintsev’s latest court documents filed in Napa County on October 31, he is requesting that Garcia cover his lost earnings, house rent and a portion of his legal fees. (Chigvintsev was left off the currently airing DWTS season 33 roster ahead of his arrest.)
“I also lost the social media promotion revenue, which she continues to benefit from as she was more worried about her career when she lied to the police than mine,” Chigvintsev claimed in the docs, asserting that Garcia is the one with “anger issues.”
He added, “She is the one with the temper. I try to stay quiet and avoid it. She yells, and [in August] was yelling, pursuing me, and was the one who attacked me. It is further a lie that I was growing increasingly angry, snapping at her, and yelling. I was not violent with her and did not violently grab or yell at her.”
Garcia has not publicly addressed Chigvintsev’s newest accusations but previously claimed that he was the aggressor in their marriage. She had been granted a restraining order against Chigvintsev in September after claiming he once “violently grabbed” her waist during an altercation.
“Due to the incident that led to Artem’s arrest on August 29, 2024, Nikki has decided to file for a temporary Domestic Violence Restraining Order to protect herself and her son,” a rep for Garcia told Us Weekly. “Although Nikki requested that the Napa District Attorney not file charges against Artem as she did not want him to go to jail, he must still be held accountable for his actions, and Nikki and her son must be protected.”
The spokesperson added, “Nikki’s number one priority has always been the wellbeing of her son. She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received and continues to ask for privacy for her and her family during this difficult time.”
Chigvintsev denied Garcia’s claims, filing his own request for a temporary restraining order that has since been denied.
“She abused me, not the other way around. She threw shoes at me, followed me and tried to break her way into the bedroom,” he claimed in the October filing obtained by the Daily Mail. “I cannot trust her anymore. Not only did she lie to the police so that her career remains intact, ruining mine, but she used the court proceeding to keep our son away from me for almost a month, not letting me see him until this court issued its 50/50 orders on 10/15/2024, which I am very grateful for.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
