Nikki Garcia’s Sister Alludes to “Lies” Amid Artem Chigvintsev Case

Artem—with whom Nikki filed for divorce on Sept. 11—noted that his focus remains on his and the WWE alum’s 4-year-old son Matteo.

"He is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life," the 42-year-old continued. "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."

He 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."

Artem was initially arrested in Napa on Aug. 29 on a domestic violence charge but was later released on $25,000 bail. 

Following Nikki’s divorce filing—in which she requested legal and physical custody of Matteo—Artem filed his own response on Sept. 13, in which he asked for joint legal and physical custody of their son, plus spousal support from Nikki.

But while Nikki has remained tight-lipped on the events, Brie did share an update during a recent episode of their joint podcast.

"She just asks for her privacy for her and her family," Brie said on the Sept. 23 episode of Nikki and Brie, "so we're going to give that."

Meanwhile, a Sept. 24 press release from Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley confirmed prosecutors would not be filing charges against the professional dancer.

"The decision to not file charges against Mr. Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation," the release stated, "and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the DA’s Office.

And while noting no further information would be shared, the release added that the case could be revisited if the Office "learns of other incidents, or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known."

“While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence,” Haley said in a statement within the release. “We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.”