Artem Chigvintsev has outlined his financial demands in response to his estranged wife Nikki Garcia’s recent divorce filing. In court documents obtained by What’s Trending, the 42-year-old Dancing with the Stars professional has requested that the court grant him spousal support while simultaneously terminating Garcia’s right to receive similar financial assistance.
Additionally, Chigvintsev is seeking that Garcia cover his attorney fees and that the court determine the status of their marriage, which is listed in the documents as spanning from Aug. 26, 2022, to Jan. 19, 2023.
On Sept. 11, Garcia, 40, filed for divorce in Napa Valley, California, after nearly two years of marriage. This filing came just days after Chigvintsev’s arrest on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse, and only hours after a source revealed to PEOPLE that Garcia had secured a divorce lawyer.
Garcia’s representative confirmed the news of their separation to PEOPLE, stating, “Nikki Garcia has filed for divorce. She continues to ask for privacy for herself and her family during this time.”
In her initial divorce petition, the former WWE star requested both legal and physical custody of their son, Matteo, with Chigvintsev being granted visitation rights. While Chigvintsev has asked the court to deny Garcia spousal support, Garcia has requested that spousal support be terminated for both parties.
The couple’s relationship began in 2017 when they were paired together on Dancing with the Stars. At the time, Garcia was engaged to John Cena. Garcia and Cena ended their relationship in July 2018, after six years together. Chigvintsev and Garcia reconnected later that year and went public with their relationship on Instagram in March 2019.
In November 2019, Chigvintsev proposed to Garcia, and they welcomed their son Matteo in July 2020. The couple married in August 2022, although their journey to the altar was not without challenges.
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In June 2021, nearly two years after their engagement, Garcia announced that they were pausing wedding planning to focus on remodeling their new home. Their wedding was initially postponed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and further delayed when Chigvintsev was diagnosed with pneumonia in January 2022.
During a March 2022 episode of The Bellas Podcast, Garcia mentioned reassessing their wedding plans with Chigvintsev, who had recently recovered from his illness. By August 2022, nearly three years after their engagement, Garcia and Chigvintsev were married in Paris. They shared the news on Instagram with photos of their wedding rings and a shot of the couple looking at the Eiffel Tower.
The ongoing legal proceedings highlight the couple’s attempts to navigate their separation, with both parties seeking to settle financial and custody matters as they move forward. The outcome of these proceedings will determine the financial obligations and custody arrangements for their son, Matteo, as well as the legal and financial ramifications for both Chigvintsev and Garcia.
As the divorce case progresses, the public will likely continue to follow the developments closely, with further updates expected as the legal process unfolds.
