Nikki Garcia (Nikki Bella in WWE) has filed a restraining order against her estranged husband Artem Chigvintsev. The order was filed on Monday, and the judge signed off on it after Nikki submitted a sworn declaration to the court.
In her petition, Garcia revealed that Artem “tackled me multiple times and pinned me to the ground while our child was present.”
Garcia also claims that when Artem was fired from Dancing with the Stars, he grew “increasingly angry, snapping at me, and yelling.” The two reportedly talked about trying to control his anger, and Nikki says Artem went into a fit of rage on the morning of the incident that resulted in his arrest. The argument started over how their 4-year-old son’s English muffin should be toasted. Artem accused Nikki of making their son become a “picky eater.”
This led to Nikki throwing Matteo’s toddler-sized 7 shoes toward Artem, which resulted in Artem calling 911 to request a police presence. He called back minutes later to say that they were no longer needed. Despite this, the cops showed up anyway because a 911 call was made. Nikki claims the shoes hit Artem’s leg, but were “so light that they couldn’t have hurt him.”
After the shoes were thrown, Nikki says Artem grabbed their son and ran upstairs with him. The child was reportedly screaming “Mommy! Mommy!”
As Nikki went to attempt to get into the room, Artem opened the door and tackled her to the ground. He reportedly grabbed her arms and held her on the ground for what she says “felt like around 30 seconds.”
After Artem let go of his wife, he then went back into Matteo’s room and slammed the door. When she again tried to push the door open, he opened it and pushed her across the hallway into the couple’s bedroom. At that point, he pushed her onto the bathroom floor in their bedroom and had his hands on her chest near her sternum. Nikki says he was pressing down so hard that it felt like she was suffocating. In an attempt to get him off, she grabbed his neck.
When police arrived on scene several hours later, Matteo told them, “Daddy hurt my hand.” The responding officers also observed visible injuries on Nikki’s body, which resulted in Chigvintsev being taken into custody. He posted bond later that same day.
Nikki’s petition also claims Artem was physically violent on one prior occasion. Back in mid-2023, Artem “violently grabbed me around my waist” to keep her away from Matteo. Additionally, she says there have been numerous instances of verbal abuse over the years. Nikki believes Artem needs to get some help with therapy and anger management, and she wants to have space between her, Matteo, and her soon-to-be ex-husband.
The judge who signed off on the petition has ordered Artem to not contact the WWE Hall of Famer or come within 100 yards of her, their son, their home, etc. The only exception is for visitation or exchange of the child per court-ordered visits.
The judge denied a request for Nikki to be able to leave the country with their son until a full hearing is held on October 21. The reason she asked for this is because she wants to go to London to film a project.
Artem hasn’t been living in the home since August 29, the date of the incident. The judge says he will not grant a “move-out order” until the hearing takes place.
Nikki has since filed for divorce, which is expected to get nasty as it heads through the court system. Chigvintsev is currently unemployed and is already asking for spousal support.
As far as Matteo is concerned, Artem has been allowed visits and FaceTime calls with him since the incident.
A rep for Nikki Garcia told TMZ the following:
“Due to the incident that led to Artem’s arrest on August 29, 2024, Nikki has decided to file for a temporary Domestic Violence Restraining Order to protect herself and her son. Although Nikki requested that the Napa District Attorney not file charges against Artem as she did not want him to go to jail, he must still be held accountable for his actions, and Nikki and her son must be protected. Nikki’s number one priority has always been the wellbeing of her son. She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received and continues to ask for privacy for her and her family during this difficult time.”
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