Against all odds, Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia’s breakup just got even messier…
Nikki — who wrestled in the WWE under the name Nikki Bella — filed for divorce on Wednesday. She listed the separation date as August 29 — the day Artem was arrested for felony corporal injury to a spouse. She was pretty generous toward the professional dancer, given the circumstances! Despite the domestic violence arrest, Nikki kept it simple and listed “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.
As for what she asked for in the divorce? Although it appears the couple does not have a prenup, she asked that neither party get spousal support. She then asked for full legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old son Matteo but is open to visitation rights for her estranged husband. Considering the events before the divorce, there is a strong chance she will get her way — at least when it comes to custody! However, it looks like Artem wants to put up a fight!
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The Dancing With the Stars alum filed a response to her divorce filing on Friday, and — we suppose not surprisingly — they are not on the same page. But first what they do agree on…
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Artem also cited irreconcilable differences as the cause for the breakup. He also listed the date of separation as August 29 — the day of his alleged domestic violence.
Here is where the former couple starts to differ. The television personality then demanded joint legal and physical custody of Matteo. Remember, Nikki is asking for sole legal and physical custody with visitation rights. He clearly is not down for that arrangement. Furthermore, Artem requested spousal support from the Total Bellas alum. She asked for no spousal support either way. Huh. He also wants her to pay his attorney’s fees and court costs. Seriously?!
Another inneresting detail about his response is he claimed putative spouse status from August 26, 2022, to January 19, 2023. For those who don’t know, a putative spouse is someone who thinks they are legally married but it’s actually in an invalid marriage. They had a wedding in France on August 26, 2022, but the documents state they got officially married in the US five months later. Huh. Weird. Hopefully no legal issues there.
Like we said, this divorce just got messier. Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments.
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 Nikki Bella/Instagram, Good Morning America/ Jennifer Hudson Show/YouTube]
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