WWE wrestler Nikki Bella (aka Nikki Garcia) and "Dancing with the Stars" alum Artem Chigvintsev settled their divorce weeks after domestic abuse charges against Chigvintsev were dropped, according to reports.
Court documents obtained by TMZ reveal that a divorce settlement was reached during mediation earlier this month. Sources shared that Bella, 40, and Chigvintsev, 42, were driven to settle due to the escalating costs of the legal proceedings, which they also found to be "emotionally draining."
Details of their divorce settlement have not been disclosed. Recently, a judge ordered the pair to share custody of their 4-year-old son, Matteo. Their agreement comes shortly before a scheduled court appearance and nearly three months after Chigvintsev's arrest on suspicion of domestic violence at their home in Napa, California. He was not charged.
"The decision to not file charges against Mr. Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the DA's Office," a spokesperson for Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley told The New York Post.
Chigvintsev later denied the accusations and alleged Bella attacked him. In court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Chigvintsev further accused her of causing him significant financial strain.
"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," Chigvintsev said in documents submitted to the Napa Superior Court. "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 is asking Bella to cover his out-of-pocket expenses and rent, as the court document states he was "kicked out" of his home.
The former "Dancing With the Stars" pro recounted his experience of the events that unfolded on Aug. 29, saying that Bella has "anger issues."
"She is the one with the temper. I try to stay quiet and avoid it. She yells, and on 8/29/24 was yelling, pursuing me, and was the one who attacked me," he said. "I was not violent with her and did not violently grab or yell at her."
Bella filed a domestic violence restraining order against Chigvintsev in September, seeking to "protect herself and her son," according to E! News.
"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," Bella's reps said in a statement to TMZ at the time.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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