Artem Chigvintsev’s recent domestic violence arrest will not have an impact on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.
Us Weekly has learned that Chigvintsev, 42, was not set to appear on season 33 of the ABC competition series, which returns next month. His absence from the upcoming round of the reality dance series comes after he placed fourth with partner Charity Lawson on DWTS season 32 last year.
News of Chigvintsev’s exit comes on the same day that DWTS alum Witney Carson announced she will return for the show’s latest season on Thursday, August 29. Cohosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro are set to return alongside judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough. Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik is the only celebrity casting announcement revealed so far.
Chigvintsev was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge in Napa County, California, where he resides with wife Nikki Garcia and their 4-year-old son, Matteo, on Thursday, according to online jail records. The reason behind the pro dancer’s arrest is unknown, and it is unclear if the incident involved Garcia, 40, or their child.
It appears Garcia was in Napa at the time of her husband’s arrest, as one day prior she posted about receiving a facial in downtown Napa via her Instagram Story. (Us has reached out to both Chigvintsev and Garcia for comment.)
Chigvintsev and Garcia met while competing together on season 25 of DWTS in 2017. At the time, Garcia was engaged to fellow WWE star John Cena, but the pair ended their engagement after six years together in July 2018. Us exclusively confirmed in January 2019 that she and Chigvintsev had been seeing each other “for a while.”
Garcia and Chigvintsev became parents with the birth of their son, Matteo, in July 2020. “7/31/2020 💙 Our baby boy is here and we couldn’t be HAPPIER and more in LOVE!” Garcia captioned an Instagram pic of her and Chigvintsev holding hands with their then-newborn. “Everyone is safe and healthy.”
Matteo was by the pair’s side when they tied the knot in Paris in August 2022. Their wedding planning journey was captured on the reality series Nikki Bella Says I Do.
The duo celebrated their second wedding anniversary via social media just days before Chigvintsev’s arrest. “Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life with out [sic] You are my everything ❤️,” he wrote alongside photos from their big day on Monday, August 26. Garcia commented on the post, writing, “Happy Anniversary Click 🥹❤️🔥💋 Love you so much!”
In an Instagram post of her own, Garcia shared a montage of clips from their French nuptials set to Haley Reinhart’s cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
“This song is our love story. I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem,” she wrote on Monday. “Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast. And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be. 🙏🏼✨”
Dancing With the Stars season 33 premieres on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to watch the next day on Hulu.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
