Nikki Gracia finds co-parenting 'incredibly tough'
After taking a break from the spotlight, Nikki Garcia has spoken about adjusting to her new life following her "shock" divorce from Artem Chigvintsev and the difficulties of co-parenting.
Nikki Garcia has found co-parenting "incredibly tough".
In November, the retired WWE wrestler - known to fans as Nikki Bella - and Artem Chigvintsev finalised their divorce out of court just two months after filing papers and following the 'Dancing With The Stars' pro's August arrest amid allegations of domestic violence, which he was not charged for.
The former couple - who tied the knot in 2022 - are focused on raising their four-year-old son Matteo, but Nikki has admitted it's “extremely difficult” not having her son in her house all the time.
In her first big interview since their divorce, she told Us Weekly magazine: "What’s crazy about co-parenting 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. 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."
The 41-year-old star has touched on the divorce and having two homes with their little boy, but she insists he is unaffected by the separation.
She said: "I’ve used words like divorce, [but] it’s only been when he’s asked. 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.
"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."
Asked how Matteo is coping, she said: "Matteo’s OK and not affected. So that makes it easy. He’s happy to go to both homes."
Nikki took a break from social media and her podcast she hosts with her twin sister, the 'Nikki and Brie Show', because of the "shock" of their split.
She said: "Everything was very shocking, all of it. And I think that was a main reason why I knew I had to disconnect. 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. I needed that disconnection to process everything that happened."
Nikki explained that she has been on a self-care journey since the breakdown of her marriage and is excited for her new chapter.
She said: "I have to say that 2025 has been amazing so far for me. 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."
