Artem Chigvintsev is back in the ballroom.
Former Dancing with the stars pro was spotted in the audience for the show’s 500th episode on Nov. 12, sitting next to fellow pros Pete Murgatroyd and her husband Maksim Chmerkovskiy. In a video posted on Murgatroyd’s Instagram stories and later reposted by Chigvintsev, the three dance and clap along to the music while watching the show.
“🥳”, she wrote on the screen.
Chigvintsev appeared in good spirits, making peace signs and laughing with the pair.
Peta Murgatroyd and Artem Chigvintsev.
peta murgatroyd/Instagram
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Chigvintsev was arrested on Aug. 29 on charges of assaulting a spouse, possibly wife Nikki Garcia, in Napa Valley. At the time, PEOPLE learned there were no plans for him to participate in Season 33 Dancing with the stars before the arrest took place.
The district attorney’s office decided not to press charges, and on September 11, Garcia filed for divorce.
Chigvintsev has maintained his innocence since the incident, claiming in court documents in response to Garcia’s restraining order, obtained by PEOPLE, that he was out of a job because of the drama that made the tabloids. “It is not true that I could not find another job as a dancer,” he wrote in the filing. “I usually start work in November and it lasts 20 weekends. After being attacked and arrested based on her false accusations, I was removed from the college listing on the website resulting in a loss of over $100k in income.”
“I also lost income from social media promotion, which she continues to benefit from because she was more concerned about her career when she lied to the police than mine,” he claimed.
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Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
In their court battle, Garcia previously claimed that Chigvintsev was cut Dancing with the stars as a pro for the current 33rd season a week before his arrest and “couldn’t find another job as a dancer.”
“He started working on construction and felt it was beneath his honor,” the Oct. 3 complaint said. “Since they cut me Dancing with the starsArtem became more and more furious, he shot at me and shouted. We talked about his need to control his anger.”
Chigvintsev’s recent filing denies Garcia’s allegations.
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev relationship timeline
Garcia and Chigvintsev met in 2017 when they were paired in season 25 DWTS. The retired WWE wrestler was engaged to John Cena at the time, but they later called it quits in July 2018. DWTS the couple subsequently reunited.
After going official on Instagram in March 2019, Garcia and Chigvintsev became engaged later that year and welcomed a son in July 2020. They later married in August 2022 and celebrated their second wedding anniversary just days before Chigvintsev’s arrest.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education