Artem Chingvintsev, the husband of former WWE star Nikki Garcia aka Nikki Bella, was arrested on August 29, 2024, for felony domestic violence (battery). It was later revealed that Nikki requested legal and physical custody of their son Matteo in divorce documents, after which the Napa County District Attorney declined to file criminal charges against Artem.
According to NYPost.com, Artem obtained a restraining order against Nikki on Thursday, the same day she received a protective order against him. Artem’s lawyer, Ilona Antonyan, released a statement to NYPost.
“It is crucial to consider the motivations of both parties in this situation. 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.”
According to Artem’s complaint, he attempted to deescalate the situation by putting their son in his room, but Nikki forced her way in.
“I could not hold it, because she’s quite strong. As soon as the door began opening, Matteo start[ed] crying. I did not want him seeing his mother angry and confrontational in his bedroom. I wanted to protect Matteo from her lack of self-control at the moment. I squeezed myself through the door opening and tried to push myself out, while Petitioner continued to physically attack me and push her way in. I tried to get her off me and away from the door frame so that Matteo would not witness any further conflict. I cannot stress enough how many times I pleaded with her to stop and calm down. There was a mutual struggle, and both ended up on the ground.”
Artem posted photos of his alleged injuries from the incident.
