Artem Chigvintsev has come out on top amid his split from Nikki Garcia.
As Perezcious readers know, the pair are in the middle of a contentious divorce after his domestic violence arrest. The incident occurred at their home in Napa County, California at the end of August. The professional dancer was the one who called 911 for medical assistance before calling off the service. Cops showed up anyway and arrested him on felony charges of corporal injury to a spouse — something they only could’ve done if they saw visible injuries on the former wrestler. Ultimately, Artem was not charged. But he is facing consequences. Nikki quickly filed for divorce.
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The ex-WWE star has been fighting for full custody of their son Matteo with supervised visitation rights to her ex. She also wanted the Dancing with the Stars pro to be ordered to undergo anger management classes. Meanwhile, Artem had his own thoughts — he requested joint custody. And guess what? HE GOT IT!
In court docs obtained by TMZ on Wednesday, after a 2-hour hearing on Tuesday, a judge ordered the exes to share custody of the 4-year-old. Wow!
During the hearing, Artem reportedly testified that he doesn’t have anger issues despite his estranged wife’s claims. It doesn’t appear like the judge felt the Strictly Come Dancing alum needed to take up any anger management classes. That said, it was noted both parents will have to take part in individual therapy. They were also ordered to attend parenting classes to learn to co-parent their son better. That’s probably a good idea — anything to try to set Matteo up for an easy transition into this new family life!
The Fight Over The Fight
Since the DV arrest, the exes have been arguing over what happened in various legal docs. Nikki has accused Artem of being verbally and physically abusive toward her. They were allegedly arguing over Matteo’s breakfast before Artem took the kiddo and locked them in the boy’s bedroom. When Nikki tried to get in, she was “tackled” and “pinned” to the ground. She was then allegedly shoved down the hall and forced to the bathroom floor, where Artem pressed on her chest near her sternum, making her feel like she was suffocating.
Meanwhile, Artem has hit back at this interpretation of the disturbing dispute, arguing that Nikki was the “primary aggressor” that day. He claimed he took Matteo to his room to protect him from the fight. When Nikki tried to get in, she allegedly started attacking Artem, and in his attempt to stop her, they ended up grappling on the floor. He also submitted photos of injuries he sustained to his hand, elbow, and the back of his head. So, as we said, two very different versions of the story! Either way, they have both obtained temporary restraining orders against each other.
This latest ruling certainly suggests the judge doesn’t think either parent is a threat to the child, so that is a relief. The parents will be back in court again in December for their divorce trial. It is expected to last two days. We hope co-parenting goes smoothly!
Thoughts? Let us know (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 Nikki Garcia/Instagram]
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