Nikki Garcia Opens up About Artem Chigvintsev Divorce, Legal Woes for the First Time

Nikki Garcia is opening up about the “shocking” end of her marriage to Artem Chigvintsev. The WWE superstar, 41, spoke candidly for the first time about her divorce from the Dancing With the Stars alum in a Tuesday, Jan. 28 interview with Us Weekly, looking forward to a “whole new era” of her life.

Just days after Garcia and Chigvintsev’s second wedding anniversary last August, police were called to the couple’s Napa Valley, Calif. home following an alleged altercation between the two. Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, but the Napa County District Attorney’s office ultimately declined to file charges.

In the following weeks, Garcia filed for divorce from the Russian professional dancer, with whom she shares 4-year-old son Matteo, and the two submitted temporary restraining orders against each other before settling their divorce. In Garcia’s restraining order filing, she detailed multiple physical altercations with Chigvintsev that she alleged occurred prior to their split.

“Everything was very shocking, all of it,” Garcia told Us Weekly of the end of her marriage, adding, “I was in shock. You couldn’t have ever told me that this would’ve been the ending of my 2024 or my marriage — [I] wouldn’t have believed you. It takes a long time to process something. “

While Nikki’s twin sister Brie has been “very vocal” about thinking the marriage should have ended “long before it did,” Garcia leaned on her and mom Kathy Colace during the difficult early days. Now, the Total Divas alum is working on co-parenting with her ex, although she find the time spent without her son “incredibly tough.”

“What’s crazy about coparenting is you get a schedule. It’s wild that one day it’s like, ‘OK, here are the days you get your son,’ and that’s just what you do. For me, that part is incredibly tough,” she explained. “I had never been in our home without him. So getting through those days is extremely difficult because I just love being around my son so much.”

Garcia has used “words like divorce” with Matteo, but only when the little boy has asked directly. “Everything’s kind of been about us just having our own homes. You get to go see Mommy and you get to go see Daddy,” she explained. “On Christmas, we made sure we were both there when we baked Santa’s cookies. Matteo went to bed and we both were there when he woke up. Because he’s our focus, we want to keep those moments. …Matteo’s OK and not affected. So that makes it easy. He’s happy to go to both homes.”

Asked if she has any regrets looking back, Garcia said candidly, “No, I can’t have regrets like that. I feel like things happen for a reason. I’m stronger today than I’ve ever been. And that’s not only for myself, but for Matteo. I feel like being a mother and wanting the best for my son and knowing I’ll do whatever it takes for him to have that makes you incredibly strong.”

Despite the “moments of heartache,” Garcia said she still believes in true love. “I truly feel people come into your life for a reason. People come in, and they teach us things,” she reflected. “And sometimes, when those loves don’t work out, you have to look and go, ‘What did I learn and what did I gain?’ Because there’s always beauty in it.”

And while she can “definitely see myself falling in love again,” it won’t be “anytime soon,” and it won’t involve marriage. “I don’t ever want to sign paperwork again. If I find the right person, I don’t mind [a commitment ceremony], but I don’t want to be legally [bound],” Garcia explained.

After the difficulties of 2024, Garcia said she’s looking to the future with optimism. “I have to say that 2025 has been amazing so far for me,” she gushed. “I’ve really taken the time to kind of date myself. I have days where I get to focus a lot on me and self-care and just really get to know who I am in my 40s. I feel like I have this whole new era to look at, and I get to choose how I want to be and [where to] take it.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.