Nikki “Bella” Garcia is reportedly ready to end her marriage with Artem Chigvintsev following his domestic violence arrest last week and is on the hunt for divorce lawyers to represent her.
The former WWE champion has been making calls to attorneys since Friday, just one day after her husband was charged with felony corporal injury to a spouse or co-inhabitant, according to TMZ.
Page Six has reached out to her reps for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Garcia, 40, hinted her marriage was done on Monday, though, when she chose to not wear her wedding ring while hosting Netflix’s live hot dog eating contest, “Joey Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.”
Sources also told TMZ Tuesday that Chigvintsev is no longer living in the marital home in Napa Valley, Calif., and is instead staying with a friend in the meantime.
Garcia, for her part, is staying in the primary residence with the couple’s 4-year-old son, Matteo, who was seen recently tagging along with her on a private plane ahead of her Netflix hosting gig.
Neither Chigvintsev nor Garcia have issued statements yet on what took place on Aug. 29.
However, audio from a 911 call gave further insight into the ex-WWE diva and pro dancer’s dispute.
A dispatcher could be heard telling an officer that Chigvintsev, who placed the call to authorities in the first place, had alleged that Garcia “threw shoes” at him.
Upon further investigating the incident, however, police found enough evidence to arrest the “Dancing With the Stars” alum, who Page Six confirmed is not returning for Season 33 of the hit show.
Napa County’s Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Henry Wofford previously told Page Six that officers found an “apparent injury” on the alleged victim or “a credible eyewitness.”
Garcia was not named as the victim, with the public information officer citing privacy concerns and legal restrictions as the reasons for the anonymity.
According to TMZ, Chigvintsev had become so concerned about Garcia’s alleged injuries that he called the paramedics himself but then tried to cancel the call shortly after.
Wofford told Page Six in response, “For domestic violence, if someone picks up the phone and says, ‘You don’t have to come after all,’ we’re still going to go for a welfare check.
“We’re not just going to stop what we’re doing. We were dispatched to go there and our deputies went directly there.”
We were also told that the alleged victim did not receive medical treatment when police were present but that does not mean the individual “didn’t need any medical assistance.”
Sources close to Garcia and Chigvintsev — who tied the knot in Paris in August 2022 — were reportedly not surprised to hear about the scandal.
An insider told TMZ on Aug. 30 that the news was “shocking but not shocking” and claimed the pair had a “volatile” marriage for some time.
In November 2023, Garcia opened up to Us Weekly about her and Chigvintsev’s plans to go to couples therapy, admitting at the time they had communication issues as she dealt with postpartum depression.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
