Artem Chigvintsev is pushing again in opposition to severe allegations from his estranged spouse, Nikki Garcia, as their divorce continues to warmth up.
The Dancing with the Stars alum is denying claims of home violence, which Nikki detailed in a restraining order she obtained earlier this week.
In new authorized paperwork, obtained by TMZ on Thursday, Artem accuses Nikki of fabricating the home violence allegations that led to his arrest in late August.
He portrays Nikki because the ‘aggressor’ of their troubled relationship, claiming her anger points performed a significant position within the collapse of their two-year marriage.
Within the restraining order, Nikki claims Artem ‘grew more and more offended’ after being minimize from Dancing with the Stars, resulting in hostility and finally violence.
Artem Chigvintsev is pushing again in opposition to severe allegations from his estranged spouse, Nikki Garcia, as their divorce continues to warmth up; seen in 2019
In new authorized paperwork, obtained by TMZ on Thursday, Artem accuses Nikki of fabricating the home violence allegations that led to his arrest in late August
Artem submitted images of accidents to his hand, elbow, and head, alleging Nikki induced them and that these incidents led to his arrest.
The skilled dancer claims the battle that led to his arrest started on August 29 at their Napa residence.
Whereas he was making breakfast for his or her 4-year-old son, Nikki, burdened a couple of Netflix occasion, grew to become upset and criticized him for not toasting the bread correctly.
Artem claims the argument escalated when Nikki criticized him for packing each a quesadilla and rooster tenders in Matteo’s lunch.
He says she later yelled at him in the lounge for not placing Matteo’s sneakers on accurately.
Artem says defending himself angered Nikki extra, main her to throw sneakers at him and hit him within the chest.
As she shouted about divorce, Matteo stood frightened. Artem claims he took Matteo upstairs to guard him.
Artem claims Nikki adopted him and Matteo to the bed room, making an attempt to pressure the door open whereas he held it shut, with a crying Matteo beside him.
He portrays Nikki because the ‘aggressor’ of their troubled relationship, claiming her anger points performed a significant position within the collapse of their two-year marriage; seen in 2019
Artem submitted images of accidents to his hand, elbow, and head, alleging Nikki induced them and that these incidents led to his arrest
He alleges he managed to push by a niche within the door to exit and defend Matteo, however Nikki then barged in and bodily confronted him, resulting in a battle on the ground.
Artem claims he managed to flee and known as 911, informing the dispatcher of the scenario.
He claims Nikki accused him of ruining her profession throughout their confrontation.
In her submitting, Nikki claimed that Chigvintsev had ‘tackled me a number of instances and pinned me to the bottom whereas our youngster was current’ throughout an argument over breakfast.
She claimed that Chigvintsev had turn into ‘more and more offended, snapping at me and yelling’ after not being requested to return to Dancing With The Stars for season 33.
Nikki claims she had beforehand mentioned Artem’s anger points with him.
On August 29, she alleges he grew to become livid over the way to toast their son Matteo’s English muffin, yelling at her and blaming her for Matteo being a ‘choosy eater.’
Nikki admitted to throwing a shoe at Artem in frustration, although she insisted it was too small to harm him, and she or he claims he then took Matteo upstairs, resulting in a confrontation on the bed room door the place Artem tackled her.
Nikki claims Artem held her arms down for about 30 seconds earlier than releasing her and returning to Matteo’s room, closing the door. When she tried to enter once more, he allegedly pushed her forcefully throughout the corridor into their bed room.
Nikki alleges that Artem pinned her to the bottom of their lavatory, urgent down on her chest and making her really feel suffocated till she grabbed his neck to flee.
When police arrived after her 911 name, their son reportedly informed them, ‘Daddy damage my hand.’
Chigvintsev was arrested and jailed on home violence fees in Napa County on August 29
In a current submitting, Nikki recounted one other incident in mid-2023 the place Artem allegedly grabbed her across the waist to maintain her away from their toddler, claiming he subjected her to verbal abuse as effectively.
She expressed concern about Matteo rising up in a tumultuous surroundings and requested that Artem endure remedy and anger administration.
A choose granted her restraining order, barring Artem from contacting or approaching Nikki, Matteo, or their residence, apart from court-ordered visits. Nikki additionally sought permission to journey with Matteo to London for a brand new mission.
However the choose ‘denied the request till a full listening to is held on October 21,’ TMZ reported.
Sourced informed the outlet Thursday that Artem has not been residing on the household’s Napa residence because the August twenty ninth incident.
An official ‘move-out order’ won’t be granted by the choose till the October twenty first listening to takes place.
Information of the restraining order comes one week after Chigvintsev broke his silence over his shock DV arrest as he reacted to prosecutors declining to file fees in opposition to him over the incident.
‘I’m extremely relieved and grateful that the home violence fees in opposition to me have been dropped,’ he started in a press release to People final Wednesday. ‘This has been an especially tough time for me. I’m grateful that the reality has prevailed. My focus has all the time been and can all the time be, our son Matteo.’
Chigvintsev defined that his four-year-old, who he shares along with his estranged spouse Nikki Garcia, is his ‘world’ and being ‘his father is the best blessing.’
‘All alongside, my essential concern has been for him. I’m dedicated to persevering with to offer him with the love, assist, and care he wants as we transfer ahead,’ the fact star defined of his mindset following the arrest and ongoing divorce.
‘I’m hopeful that securing an equal custody association will assist us transfer on,’ he shared. ‘I wish to specific my deepest gratitude to my household, associates, and authorized group for standing by me throughout this difficult time. Your assist has been invaluable, and I’m grateful to everybody who believed in me and noticed the reality for what it was.’
Chigvintsev concluded his assertion by saying: ‘I sit up for transferring previous this chapter and specializing in what really issues—proceed being the perfect father I will be.’
Chigvintsev’s lawyer, Ilona Antonyan, went on to notice that her consumer is concentrated on ‘negotiating a shared 50/50 custody schedule.’
However the fees had been dropped final week following a ‘thorough’ prison investigation by the Napa County District Lawyer; the couple seen in 2017
Since Garcia filed for divorce final month, he ‘has been capable of spend time with Matteo virtually each day since 8/29/2024 incident.’
Antonyan went on to explain Chigvintsev as a ‘very devoted, interactive, nurturing, and loving dad or mum.’
‘My understanding of the investigated info surrounding the 8/29/24 incident have led me to conclude from the start that Artem was not the first aggressor. I consider that to be true even when the burden of proof can be the preponderance of proof, which is the usual of proof in household court docket. He was defending himself and Matteo,’ she informed Individuals.
Though his lawyer identified that ‘ivorce isn’t simple,’ she expressed hope that ‘as soon as custody is settled, the remaining points are typically much less emotionally charged and simpler to resolve.’
Within the meantime, Chigvintsev stays ‘absolutely dedicated to fostering a constructive co-parenting relationship along with his ex.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Chigvintsev and Garcia’s representatives, however haven’t heard again, at the moment.
On Tuesday, Napa County District Lawyer Allison Haley introduced that her workplace has declined to file prison fees in opposition to Chigvintsev, 42, in connection along with his August 29 arrest on suspicion of felony home violence.
The choice to not file fees in opposition to Chigvintsev was made after a radical evaluation of the prison investigation and cautious analysis of the proof introduced to the DA’s Workplace, officers stated.
Information of the restraining order comes one week after Chigvintsev broke his silence over his shock DV arrest as he reacted to prosecutors declining to file fees in opposition to him over the incident
‘Whereas we take each arrest significantly and stand firmly in opposition to home violence, we’ve got an moral obligation to solely file fees when supported by the proof,’ Haley stated in a press release obtained by DailyMail.com.
Haley stated, ‘We’re required to show any and each prison cost ‘past an inexpensive doubt’ which is the best normal within the American prison justice system. If the accessible proof would not rise to this stage of proof, then we can not ethically file fees.’
Home violence can both be filed as a felony or a misdemeanor and has a statute of limitations of three years or one yr, respectively.
At any time inside the statute of limitations, the Napa County District Lawyer’s Workplace could revisit the case if it learns of different incidents, or in any other case learns of info or proof not beforehand recognized.
Haley added that the Napa County District Lawyer’s Sufferer Companies Division works carefully with victims of home violence and different crimes and hyperlinks them to accessible sources whether or not fees are filed or not.
Earlier this month, the Dancing With The Stars professional cited ‘irreconcilable variations’ as the rationale for his or her cut up in his personal divorce submitting.
He listed the date of separation as August 29 – which was the identical day that he was arrested for felony home violence fees following the alleged altercation at their residence in Napa, California.
Chigvintsev has additionally requested for joint authorized and bodily custody of his and Nikki’s four-year-old son, Matteo. The Russian-born dancer has requested for spousal assist, and likewise requested that Garcia pay for his authorized charges.
‘This has been an especially tough time for me. I’m grateful that the reality has prevailed. My focus has all the time been and can all the time be, our son Matteo,’ he informed PEOPLE in a press release
Within the submitting, Artem claimed that he was a putative partner between the dates of August 26, 2022 and January 19, 2023.
A putative partner is a person who believes they’re legally married to somebody, however the marriage itself is just not legitimate.
Simply days earlier than the professional dancer was positioned into handcuffs, the couple had marked their second wedding ceremony anniversary.
On the time, Chigvintsev shared a heartfelt message in an Instagram submit that learn, ‘Pleased anniversary my love, cannot see my life with out you. You might be my every part.’