Artem Chigvintsev‘s attorney is speaking out amid his divorce from Nikki Garcia!
Perezcious readers will recall that the former professional wrestler filed to end her two-year marriage to the Dancing With The Stars alum this past Wednesday, nearly two weeks after he was arrested on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse. Two days later, Artem responded to his estranged wife’s filing — and he had a few different requests than she made.
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For one, he demanded joint legal and physical custody of their son Matteo, while Nikki asked for sole legal and physical custody with visitation rights. And that is only the start. They also were not on the same page regarding spousal support. The 42-year-old dancer requested it from the Total Bellas alum, along with her paying his attorney’s fees and court costs. Yes, really. Meanwhile, she asked for no spousal support either way.
Wow.
Given that the former couple do not agree on several issues including the circumstances that led to the divorce, we expect a messy legal battle moving forward. The former couple have not addressed the breakup much, other than a rep for Nikki saying she “continues to ask for privacy for her and her family at this time” after the filing. Basically, the representative just reiterated the statement she made when Artem was arrested for domestic violence late last month. So, do not expect the WWE star — who was formerly known as Nikki Bella — to open up about the situation anytime soon.
And that goes for Artem, too. His attorney Ilona Antonyan told People on Tuesday that Artem won’t talk about the divorce. Instead, both his and Nikki’s top priority is doing what is best for Matteo right now:
“At this time, Mr. Chigvintsev will not comment on any pending proceeding. The parties are focused on co-parenting and working together for the best interests of their son.”
When it comes to Artem’s request for joint custody and spousal support, Antonyan explained:
“As a standard practice, the divorce response preserves Mr. Chigvintsev’s financial rights to support and fees. Failure to check these boxes in the responsive pleadings waives the right to seek such remedies. There is no motion pending for spousal support or fees, also known as the Request for Order.”
Hmm. His lawyer added that the “parties intend to resolve all pending issues on mutually acceptable terms.” How long that will take to get there is a different story! Hopefully, for Matteo’s sake, they can work out an agreement without it getting nasty between them. But we will see…
Thoughts on his attorney’s statement? Share ‘em in the comments (below).
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
[Image via Brian To/WENN, Artem Chigvintsev/Instagram]
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