Nikki Garcia is speaking out after her split from Artem Chigvintsev!
Months after his domestic violence arrest and about two weeks after settling their divorce, the WWE star, who went by Nikki Bella, has finally gotten candid about the very “tough” time for her family. In Monday’s episode of her podcast, The Nikki & Brie Show, the Total Bellas star began by thanking her loved ones and supporters for standing by her during this tense situation. She expressed:
“I’m going to try my best not to get too emotional in this episode. But I first want to just thank everyone, the listeners, you [her sister Brie Garcia], family, friends, coworkers, people I haven’t talked to in a long time, just for all the love and support, for the respect of privacy and space.”
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The mother of 4-year-old son Matteo, whom she shares with her ex, went on to say:
“The past few months, I disconnected from social media, from the world. And I just knew that I needed to disconnect, because first things first, I’m a mom and my son’s protection and privacy is the most important. So I was going to do whatever it took for that, most importantly, and then just needing space for healing, for facing trauma, head on, all of that. So it’s been tough. It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken, sad.”
Oof. This whole thing has been especially hard for her because she could never have imagined her perfect family life turning into this, she remarked:
“You dream of having this family, and you have this incredible love, and it just goes the other way. And you go from having a great love story to having a terrible one, and — never saw any of it coming. You know, as far as what the ending would be. So it’s just been a struggle.”
It’s all so complicated! As Perezcious readers know, the Dancing with the Stars pro was arrested in late August following an incident at the couple’s home. He was ultimately not charged, but whatever went down in that house — they both have different versions of the story — it was enough to end the marriage. In September, Nikki filed for divorce, which they settled last month, dropping both their restraining orders against each other in the process. Artem was awarded joint custody, despite Nikki wanting full custody.
While she’s ready to slowly start speaking out on this situation, Nikki is still being careful of her words to protect her young son, she explained:
“I’ve been so shocked, like beyond words, and it’s been heartbreaking. You lose your appetite, you cry a lot. And then I also stepped up and made sure everything was okay for Matteo. And so it’s just been — I don’t even know what other words to use.”
We can’t even imagine how tough it must’ve been… Despite all the headlines about the end of her romance, Nikki tried to avoid what was being said about her, something that helped her stay sane amid all this. She dished:
“The one thing that I have realized disconnecting from the world, it’s when you know the truth, nothing else matters. So when some of you would come to me and tell me what people were saying or what was out there, it would affect me in some way, but because I know the truth, and I actually lived it, it didn’t have a big effect on me.”
Well, that’s good. It must have been hard to see her ex calling her the aggressor in the confrontation despite her claiming he was the one that attacked her following a dispute about Matteo’s breakfast. At least she focused on what she could. Speaking off, she added:
“All I need to do is focus on my healing. I need to focus on Matteo’s healing.”
So important! We’re glad she took time away from social media to process this in private, and now that she’s back online, she’s reemerging in the way that feels best for her and her child — even if that means erasing her baby daddy! Here’s to hoping things get better for her and her family from here on out.
Listen to her full update (below):
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? 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 ABC News/YouTube & Artem Chigvintsev/Instagram]
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