-- The NY Post is reporting that former “Dancing With the Stars” performer Artem Chigvintsev has been granted a restraining order against his estranged wife, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella, on the same day that she was granted a protective order against him. The competing orders come after a late August incident which briefly landed Chigvintsev in jail and triggered proceedings which likely look to be ending in divorce for the couple.
-- The Post quoted Chigvintsev’s lawyer with making the following statements following the orders:
“Mr. Chigvintsev contacted law enforcement on 8/29/24 seeking protection from his wife’s persistent aggression. While he was on the phone with the police, Ms. Garcia-Colace made a pointed statement, saying, ‘Do you understand where this is going now, Artem? You just ruined my career, and you know it.' That day, someone was going to be arrested, and it wouldn’t have been Mr. Chigvintsev if Ms. Garcia Colace had told the truth."
“[Chigvintsev] denies ever tackling her. He was shocked to learn two weeks after the incident that she made this allegation against him; at that point it made sense to him why he was arrested. As a result of wife’s self-serving statement, Mr. Chigvintsev’s career suffered, with numerous opportunities being canceled due to these false allegations. Men can also be victims of domestic violence; Mr. Chigvintsev’s case highlights this reality. He was not the primary aggressor."
-- In his complaint, Artem agreed with Nikki on how the fight started - over their four-year old son Matteo’s breakfast though the stories differ on who started the fight. Unlike Nikki, Artem claims that it was Bella who criticized him that morning for not having the child’s lunch packed and breakfast prepared appropriately; Bella apparently complained that the boy’s muffin was not toasted enough. He claims that she continued to berate him saying she does all the work and he doesn’t help as he headed towards the door to take the boy to school. The fight then escalated over Matteo’s shoes and Artem claims that Bella “completely lost it”, began screaming for him to “get the f*ck out of my house” and eventually hurled the boy’s shoes at him. Artem claimed that his first reaction was to protect the young child but Bella kept on yelling and asking for a divorce.
-- Chigvintsev then stated that he tried to de-escalate the situation by taking Matteo upstairs into his bedroom but that Nikki followed them up and tried to force her way in. At that point, he squeezed his way out but Nikki began physically attacking him and eventually the two of them ended up on the ground after a struggle. Artem then said he was finally able to locate his cell phone and call police but was shocked that when they arrived, Bella lied to them about what happened leading to his arrest. Artem also disputed other details of her account, including her claim that he tackled her twice and grabbed Matteo from her. Ultimately, prosecutors decided to withdraw all charges against him.
-- In his petition for the restraining order, Artem included pictures reportedly showing some of the wounds that he suffered in the scuffle. He also made a statement that he believed Bella seemed stressed due to a “her job that was coming up” where she will be hosting Netflix’s live competitive eating special titled “Unfinished Beef.” The estranged couple are currently in the midst of divorce proceedings.
