Artem Chigvintsev Slams Reports Of Reconciliation With Nikki Garcia

The Russian dancer recently clarified that the claims of his interest in reuniting with Garcia are false, implying the pair are still locked in for their divorce. His statement comes shortly after scoring a joint custody arrangement with the former WWE star.

A judge granted Artem Chigvintsev’s request for shared custody of his and Nikki Garcia’s son, Matteo. The outcome was a massive win for the “Dancing With The Stars” alum as his estranged wife filed to have full custody of the boy alongside visitation demands.

Reports about a possible reconciliation between Chigvintsev and Garcia made waves days earlier, with sources implying the dancer wished to fix their marriage. However, he slammed these claims in a statement on October 16, stressing:

“The reporting that I wanted to reconcile with Nikki is incorrect.”

Chigvintsev’s attorney, Ilona Antonyan, echoed similar sentiments, claiming her client had not been in contact with Garcia since early October. The former professional wrestler filed for divorce in September, days after her ex was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence on August 29.

He was released from custody the same day on a $25,000 bail, but prosecutors did not pursue the charges against him. Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced her office’s decision not to file criminal charges against Chigvintsev on September 24, per PEOPLE.

The shared custody arrangement was announced after a 2-hour hearing at the Napa County, California court on Tuesday, October 15. The Blast reported that Chigvintsev and Garcia were ordered to co-parent their son Matteo without any uncomfortable strings attached.

When Garcia filed for divorce, she not only asked for full custody of Matteo but for Chigvintsev to be granted supervised visitation and ordered to undergo anger management classes. While none of her requests were accepted, the judge had a few demands for the pair.

To co-parent their son amicably, Chigvintsev and Garcia were ordered to attend parenting classes and individual therapy to sort out their differences. As for their divorce, a trial was reportedly scheduled for December and was expected to occur over two days.

Following his arrest and bail on suspicion of felony domestic violence in August, Chigvintsev attempted to clear his name in a restraining order filing. He slammed Garcia as the primary aggressor in the incident, alleging she picked a fight that morning over their son’s preparations for school.

The former wrestler, per Chigvintsev’s filing, got mad over how he prepared Matteo’s toast and for placing two food options — a quesadilla and chicken tenders — in the boy’s lunchbox. The criticism continued when she followed him into the living room and found fault in how he wore their son’s shoes.

Chigvintsev claimed he reached his breaking point at that moment and fired back at his estranged wife, who became enraged and threw Matteo’s shoes at him. Then she started screaming about getting a divorce while their son watched them, frightened and confused.

According to Chigvintsev, he attempted to protect their son by taking him to his bedroom and locking them inside. However, Garcia relentlessly chased after them and tried to get in, forcing the dancer to stop her.

But the situation worsened with Garcia shoving her way in and physically attacking Chigvintsev. The pair grappled on the floor for some minutes before the dancer broke free and called 911, claiming his estranged wife kept yelling in the background.

At one point, she allegedly told Chigvintsev, “Do you understand here this is gonna go now, Artem. You just ruined my career, and you know it.” The ballroom dancer backed his claims with pictures of injuries, but earlier reports noted cops found wounds on Garcia’s body and not his.

Before Chigvintsev’s claims, Garcia had painted him as the problem in her restraining order filing. She echoed similar sentiments about what happened that August morning but argued her estranged husband had done the shouting and criticisms.

Garcia acknowledged throwing Matteo’s sneakers at him and trying to get into the boy’s bedroom. However, she claimed Chigvintsev had tackled her to the ground before attacking her a second time by pushing her across the hall into their bedroom.

Chigvintsev allegedly forced her to the floor in their bathroom with his hands on her chest near her sternum. Garcia claimed he pressed down so hard that she felt like she was suffocating and was forced to fight back to escape his grip.

Given Artem Chigvintsev’s recent claims that no reconciliation was on the table, will he and Nikki Garcia be able to split amicably come December?