The Napa County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that Artem Chigvintsev will not face charges relating to a domestic violence arrest last month that made national headlines.
It seems like a legal nightmare may be over for professional dancer and longtime Dancing With the Stars fixture Artem Chigvintsev, after the Napa County DA has decided not to move forward with charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident on August 29 in Yountville, which led to his arrest. So, this C-lister drama may, indeed, be winding down.
In a statement Tuesday, DA Allison Haley said, "While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence."
Hale continued, "We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges." Haley said the decision followed a comprehensive review of the evidence submitted.
Chigvintsev was arrested on Thursday, August 29, days following his second wedding anniversary with wife Nikki Garcia, the former professional wrestler who wrestled under the name Nikki Bella. Garcia had previously been married to wrestling star turned actor John Cena, and she was still married to Cena when she appeared on Season 25 of Dancing With the Stars, paired up with Chigvintsev, in 2017.
The pair's chemistry and romance of course made for great tabloid fodder, after Garcia divorced Cena in 2018 and became pregnant with Chigvintsev's child. She and Chigvintsev had just celebrated the two-year anniversary of their 2022 nuptials when the alleged domestic incident occurred on August 29 — and as the Chronicle noted at the time, Garcia had posted a video to Instagram on August 26 with footage from their wedding and a gushing note in honor of the anniversary. The video is still live.
It was never made clear whether Garcia suffered injuries in the incident, and the police report indicated that the victim requested total confidentiality. A 911 call included a statement from Chigvintsev that Garcia was throwing shoes at him, and that there was a child present — their four-year-old son Matteo. He was ultimately booked on suspicion of inflicting injury on a spouse.
Several days later, September 2, Garcia appeared at a Netflix event without her wedding ring on. And divorce papers were filed on September 11, indicating the couple's date of separation as August 29.
As E! Online reported Monday, Garcia's sister Brie, with whom she owns a winery in Napa and co-hosts a podcast, appeared solo on the podcast Monday and made a vague statement about it.
"Nikki isn’t here because, as you all know, she’s going through something personal in her life, and she just asks for her privacy for her and her family, so we’re going to give that," Brie Garcia said. "But she sees all the support and love, and we’re always grateful for all of your love and support, so thank you all for that."
Top image: Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev attend "Twin Love" - Cocktails And Bites With Hosts Nikki & Brie Garcia at Soho House on November 16, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video)