Artem Chigvintsev 'incredibly relieved' domestic violence charge was dropped
Artem Chigvintsev has spoken out after his domestic violence charge was dropped.
Artem Chigvintsev is "incredibly relieved" that his domestic violence charge has been dropped.
The 42-year-old dancer was arrested by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of felony corporal injury to spouse or cohabitant last month, but this week it was confirmed they won't be pursuing a case against the 'Dancing With the Stars' professional - whose wife Nikki Garcia filed for divorce two weeks after the incident - due to a lack of evidence.
Reacting to the decision, Artem admitted he was "thankful that the truth has prevailed".
He told E! News: "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."
Artem says his priority is the estranged couple's four-year-old son Matteo, who is seeking joint custody of.
He said: "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."
Artem continued: "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."
He concluded: "I look forward to moving past this chapter and focusing on what truly matters—continue being the best father I can be."
Although no charges have been filed against Artem, the case could be revisited by the DA's office "if it learns of other incidents, or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known.”
TMZ previously obtained audio of a 911 call that led to Artem being arrested.
The clip featured a dispatcher saying the dancer had alleged 40-year-old Nikki had thrown her shoes at him.
The operator could be heard saying Artem's call "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]. There is a child on scene. Medical en route. There's an active 415 [disturbing the peace] in the background responsible."
But the dancer subsequently stated he no longer needed medical assistance, with the dispatcher confirming: "RP is stating no medical is needed now."
Artem was booked and released later in the day on $25,000 bond.
The celebrity duo met on 'Dancing With the Stars' back in 2017, but they didn't start dating until the following year, after Nikki split from John Cena.
They got engaged in January 2020 and married in Paris in August 2022.
Nikki cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split.
