The dance world has been rocked by a real-life drama that has unfolded between “Dancing with the Stars” alumni Artem Chigvintsev and his partner, Nikki Garcia, former wrestler and reality TV star. Once a partnership that seemed to shine bright, it has dimmed under the weight of serious public allegations and a couple of lawsuits. Before our eyes, it has become a very ugly split. In an effort to pry some sunlight back into his public persona, Ardam recently went on a podcast and spoke to hosts about what has been driving him for the last two years. The hosts were nice enough to edit the video of Ardam’s appearance into a format that made it easy to watch.
Nikki’s side tells a tale about the morning of August 29, 2023. Under the California sun, a breakfast argument escalated, with their four-year-old son, Matteo, in attendance. The event is recounted in Nikki’s official filing, which was obtained by E News. It’s a narrative filled with accusations and counterclaims. In an effort to calm a highly charged situation, Nikki says she directed Matteo to go to the next room with her. Unfortunately, according to Nikki, Ardam was just about to explode in rage. Had Nikki and Matteo’s attempt to exit the scene not happened, maybe the alleged toddler shoe incident would have never occurred.
In a truly terrifying turn of events, Nikki asserts that Ardam took her down to the ground just outside their son’s bedroom in a physical scuffle that left her gasping for air and feeling hopeless. The scene became even more dramatic when the police came. The couple’s son spoke words to the officers that have to be heard to be believed: “Daddy hurt my hand.” Those three innocent yet damning words added more spectacle to an already high-stakes situation and shone a light on a supposedly dark past. But what really does shine a light on a supposedly dark past? What does Nicole think is behind the blue eyes of her son’s father? Complicating matters, Nicole is very clear on one thing: She thinks her estranged husband is a poor excuse for a father.
In this litigation, Artem tells his side of the story. He submitted documents to TMZ that lay out his claims. They maintain that Nikki was the aggressor in the situation and back this up with photos that they sent to TMZ. These, they say, are showing the injuries that Artem sustained because of what Nikki did to him. They paint Artem as the peacemaker in what could have been a really terrifying scenario for young Matteo. If there is a legal pendulum swinging, it seems to be in Artem’s favor. He has now submitted a bond for $100,000 to the court—cash for life—so that he can have unrestricted access to young Matteo while the legal issues are worked out.
A complete sense of relief washed over Artem when the case against him was closed. In a statement to E News, he expressed gratitude and seemed almost giddy at the prospect of being able to turn his undivided attention back to his children, which is a sister publication to Us Weekly under the banner of parent company NBCUniversal, outlined the episode that “stirred up” the events of the past few weeks and culminated in a phone call from Artem to 911 in which he accused his wife of threatening him.
Under the unyielding gaze of public scrutiny, the intertwined destinies of Artem and Nikki capture the shared imagination. Their legal and personal wrangling seems destined to promise even more spectacular twists and turns, and with Artem and Nikki as about as “real” as reality TV gets, the unfolding drama seems sure to set new stages not just for legal forums but for the ever-curious elite of Hollywood to whisper about.
