On August 29, 2024, it was reported that Artem Chingvintsev, the husband of former WWE star Nikki Garcia aka Nikki Bella, was arrested on a felony domestic violence (battery) charge. It was later revealed that Nikki requested legal and physical custody of their son Matteo in divorce papers.
The Napa County District Attorney declined to file criminal charges against Artem, who responded in a series of Instagram stories.
“I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped. This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed.
My focus has always been and will always be, our son Matteo. He is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life. All along, my main concern has been for him. I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support, and care he needs as we move forward. I am hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, and legal team for standing by me during this challenging time. Your support has been invaluable, and I am thankful to everyone who believed in me and saw the truth for what it was.
I look forward to moving past this chapter and focusing on what truly matters-continue being the best father I can be.”
Ilona Antonyan, Artem’s lawyer, provided a statement to People.com.
“We can now focus on negotiating a shared 50/50 custody schedule. Fortunately, Artem has been able to spend time with Matteo almost every day since 8/29/2024 incident. He is a very dedicated, interactive, nurturing, and loving parent. My understanding of the investigated facts surrounding the 8/29/24 incident have led me to conclude from the beginning that Artem was not the primary aggressor. I believe that to be true even if the burden of proof would be the preponderance of evidence, which is the standard of proof in family court. He was protecting himself and Matteo.”
