Artem Chigvintsev is reflecting on his divorce.
More than a year and a half after Nikki Garcia filed for divorce on the heels of a domestic violence incident with Artem, the Dancing with the Stars alum is diving back into the tumultuous time. During an appearance on The Penthouse with Peta podcast on Monday, the 43-year-old reflected on how his life “completely changed” in the blink of an eye following his and Nikki’s explosive flight:
“Life completely changed within a week maybe … I had to completely switch off ‘me.’ There was no way of processing everything. You just exist.”
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The domestic violence charges against Artem were ultimately dropped, but Nikki pressed forward with the divorce. Artem noted he was in “survival mode” during the process:
“It was like a bad dream, all of it. I’m looking back, and I’m like, ‘Whoa. I don’t know how everything [happened or] where I am right now.’”
Artem admitted he would NOT do anything differently now in retrospect, as he feels it was “inevitable” for him to “end up where I needed to end up.” He reflected:
“Everything happens for a reason … I don’t think I would ever [have] left that relationship. I was raised differently. [I was] raised to work through things and, like, my parents are together.”
He claimed his desire for his and Nikki’s 5-year-old son Matteo to live under the same roof as both parents would have forever kept him in the relationship:
“You do everything for your kid. I want my kid to have a full family. I’m a big believer that my kid needs to have both parents present.”
He went on to state that if he were to ever meet someone new, “that person will never have that love for my son like his mom does for him … that’s an organic feeling.”
The pro dancer also noted that despite being cut from DWTS leaving a “giant void” in his life, he wouldn’t be able to fully be there for his son if he were still on the show:
“I don’t think I can do that to my son. I don’t want to half ass [the show] and I don’t want to half ass [being a father]. But if they would [offer it again], I’ll definitely entertain.”
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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/
