For nearly two decades, millions of Americans have tuned in every week to watch professional ballroom dancers spin around the dance floor with notable celebrities. Dancing with the Stars turned celebrities like Zendaya, Selma Blair, Bindi Irwin, Jerry Springer, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, and more into professional dancers. In the end, the celebrity and their dancing pro who achieved the highest scores and votes won the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy.
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Over the years, there have been nearly five dozen professional dancers showing their talents. For ten seasons, one of those dancers was Artem Chigvintsev. During his time on the show, Chigvintsev danced with Nancy Kerrigan, Patti LaBelle, Heidi D’Amelio, Charity Lawson, and Nikki Bella.
While he performed well with all the celebrities he danced with, Chigvintsev’s connection with former professional wrestler Nikki Bella (real name Nikki Garcia) was next level. They became so close that they fell in love and married in 2022. Two years prior to their marriage, the couple welcomed their first child, son Matteo.
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Unfortunately, their love story turned very dark, and on August 29, Chigvintsev was arrested on charges of suspected corporal injury to a spouse. According to the police report, the 42-year-old dancer was arrested and booked into the Napa County Jail just before 10 a.m. He was able to post the $25,000 bail and was released later that day.
When contacted by the press shortly after his arrest made the news, Garcia’s rep said that the incident was a family matter and that the couple wanted people to respect their privacy.
In the days since his arrest, more information has come to light on the couple’s volatile relationship.
According to a newly released 9-1-1 call, we have learned that Artem Chigvintsev called emergency services just hours before his arrest. He claimed that Garcia was assaulting him.
TMZ obtained a recording of the call and reported:
TMZ has obtained the dispatch call, in which the dispatcher says, “Initially came in as requesting medical, but now he is stating he got into an argument with his wife and his wife threw shoes at rp [reporting party].”
The dispatcher notes, “There is a child on scene. Medical en route,” adding, “There’s an active 415 [disturbing the peace] in the background responsible.”
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While medical services were initially dispatched to the scene, they were called off before they got there. The 9-1-1 dispatcher states that Chigventsev said he no longer needed medical attention.
It was also reported that the couple’s son was home at the time of the incident. When police arrived, they noticed that Garcia had visible injuries. They arrested Chigvintsev on charges of corporal injury to a spouse.
It is important to note that corporal injury to a spouse is a much more serious charge than domestic battery — corporal injury is a felony, while domestic battery is a misdemeanor. Corporal injury is when someone is accused of intentionally inflicting physical injury on their significant other. Domestic battery does not require physical injury and can include verbal abuse.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.