WARNING: THIS REPORT CONTAINS DISTURBING DETAILS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PHOTOS AS A RESULT
According to a report from the New York Post, Artem Chigvintsev was granted a restraining order against his estranged wife, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella (Garcia), this past Thursday.
It was also said that Artem’s protective order was granted by the courts on the same day as Nikki’s protective order was granted against him.
In a statement that was given to the New York Post on Chigvintsev’s behalf by his lawyer, Ilona Antonyan, her client denies Nikki’s allegations that he tackled her and insists “he was not the primary aggressor.” Antonyan also added “It is crucial to consider the motivations of both parties in this situation.”
The dual restraining orders are a result from an altercation between Nikki and Artem that took place back on August 29, just a few days after they celebrated their second wedding anniversary. The altercation had led to Chigvintsev being arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. After lack of evidence, authorities did not charge him.
“Mr. Chigvintsev contacted law enforcement on 8/29/24 seeking protection from his wife’s persistent aggression. While he was on the phone with the police, Ms. Garcia-Colace made a pointed statement, saying, ‘Do you understand where this is going now, Artem? You just ruined my career, and you know it.’” Antonyan then continued, “That day, someone was going to be arrested, and it wouldn’t have been Mr. Chigvintsev if Ms. Garcia Colace had told the truth…[Chigvintsev] denies ever tackling her. He was shocked to learn two weeks after the incident that she made this allegation against him; at that point it made sense to him why he was arrested.”
Artem’s lawyer then went on to say in her statement, “As a result of wife’s self-serving statement, Mr. Chigvintsev’s career suffered, with numerous opportunities being canceled due to these false allegations. Men can also be victims of domestic violence; Mr. Chigvintsev’s case highlights this reality. He was not the primary aggressor.”
In his complaint obtained by the New York Post, Chigvintsev agreed with Nikki’s claim in her petition, that their altercation began over their 4-year-old son, Matteo, and his breakfast. However, both provide a different version of how the dispute actually came about. In his petition, Chigvintsev states that Nikki criticized him on the morning of August 29 for not having Matteo’s breakfast and packed lunch prepared and further complained that their son’s muffin was not toasted enough.
According to Chigvintsev, Nikki seemed “stressed due to her job that was coming up” as host of Netflix’s live competitive eating special, “Unfinished Beef.”
Artem notes in his retraining order request that Nikki continued saying “she does everything, and I don’t help, which is absolutely false.” He then went on to claim that Nikki continued to berate him as he took their son towards the door to leave for school. The fight allegedly then had escalated further during a discussion about Matteo’s shoes. “[Bella] completely lost it and started screaming ‘get the f – – k out of my house, I am sick of all of it, I had enough.’”
This was then “followed by [her] forcefully throwing both of Matteo’s sneakers at me,” he continued further by saying that “she hit my chest area” but “fortunately the shoes did not hit Matteo although he was right next to me…[M]y first reaction was obviously safety of Matteo because he was standing right by my side.” he recalled as per the order.
Artem then added that Matteo was “very confused and look[ed] frightened” while Bella “continue[d] yelling about wanting a divorce.” It was at this point, Artem alleged he “had to protect” their son and was pleading with [Bella] to “please stop this and calm down.”
“I took Matteo into my arms, and tried to deescalate the situation and take him upstairs to his room,” he continued. But he says this only had the effect of escalating the conflict. Once he and Matteo was inside his (Matteo’s bedroom), Artem alleged Nikki “tried to force herself in to open the door…I could not hold it, because she’s quite strong. As soon as the door began opening, Matteo start[ed] crying…I did not want him seeing his mother angry and confrontational in his bedroom. I wanted to protect Matteo from her lack of self-control at the moment.”
Chigvintsev further added, “I squeezed myself through the door opening and tried to push myself out, while Petitioner continued to physically attack me and push her way in…I tried to get her off me and away from the door frame so that Matteo would not witness any further conflict. I cannot stress enough how many times I pleaded with her to stop and calm down.”
At this point in Chigvintsev’s filing, he conceded, “There was a mutual struggle, and both ended up on the ground.” He also alleged, that he was able to find his cell phone and call 911, while waiting outside for law enforcement to show up. He added this is when he was shocked that he was being arrested and claims Nikki lied to local law enforcement at the scene.
“I had no idea what she told the police, but to my surprise I ended up getting arrested,” Chigvintsev said in his filing. “I was not the primary aggressor, she definitely was…Since the 8/29/24 incident, I learned on 9/13/24 that she lied to the police that I tackled her twice, which is absolutely false.”
Chigvintsev also disputed Bella’s claim that “she was holding Matteo and grabbed him from Nikki and then barricaded himself in the room. “This was a complete LIE…But it mase [sic] sense why I was arrested instead of her.”
The counter also claims made in Chigvintsev’s restraining order request directly contradict claims Nikki made in her protective order request, which was filed this past Monday.
In a previous report, as first reported by TMZ on Thursday, it notes in court documents obtained by the publication that Artem tackled Nikki multiple times and pinned her to the ground while their son was present. Furthermore, also as previously reported per TMZ, according to Bella, Chigvintsev became “increasingly angry, snapping at her, and yelling after her learned that he was not asked to return for season 33 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. As it pertains to the breakfast incident, Nikki indicates that it was Artem who became angry because of how she had toasted their son’s English muffin and blaming her for the child becoming a “picky eater.”
Nikki did confess, however, that she threw Matteo’s shoes at Artem, which hit him in the leg. She then alleged he then grabbed Matteo and ran upstairs, with him screaming, “Mommy! Mommy!” Nikki further claims, per the records obtained by TMZ that Artem tackled her to the ground, pushed her across a hall and then forced her down on the floor of the bathroom, before allegedly to start pressing down on her chest near her sternum. Nikki added, it was at this point in time, she grabbed at Chigvintsev’s neck in order to attempt to get him off of her.
Per the court order as noted in the New York Post’s report, the granting of Chigvintsev’s restraining order request, is for the time being, as the pair will share joint custody of their son and “there shall be reasonable daily FaceTime contact between the child and non custodial parent.” A judge further decreed that “neither parent shall make negative statements about the other in the presence of hearing of the child or question the child about the other parent.”
Both parties are due back in court on Monday, October 21 for a hearing to consider each of their requests.
Nikki filed for divorce from Artem back on Wednesday, September 11. In addition she has requested sole legal and physical custody of Matteo. Artem responded to Nikki’s petition asking for joint custody and spousal support.
***All the quotes and details are courtesy of the New York Post and a previous report we posted with TMZ as the source.***
In Artem’s restraining order request, he provided photos which allegedly show wounds he sustained as a result of the physical altercation with Nikki. The photos below are courtesy of the New York Post and the Superior Court of California. Artem was initially arrested in Napa County.
Below are domestic violence resources. If you or someone you know is in need of help, please contact one of these resources as listed below:
Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)
Resource Centers | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)
The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233