BREAKING NEWS'Heartbroken' Nikki Garcia Addresses Artem Chigvintsev Divorce for First Time After Domestic Violence Dispute: 'It's Been Really Tough'
Nikki Garcia has broken her silence on her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.
Nikki Garcia finally spoke out following her shocking split from Artem Chigvintsev.
The WWE Hall of Famer addressed her divorce for the very first time during the Monday, December 2, episode of her and twin sister Brie Garcia's "Nikki & Brie" podcast, which aired roughly two weeks after the exes finalized the legal end to their marriage.
Nikki Garcia filed for divorce from Artem Chigvintsev on Wednesday, September 11.
"I'm going to try my best not to get too emotional in this episode," Nikki began before expressing gratitude toward those who have supported her during this difficult time. "But I first want to just thank everyone, the listeners, you, 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."
She continued: "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."
Nikki Garcia's divorce filing came after Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence at the end of August.
"You dream of having this family, and you have this incredible love," Nikki shared, referring to her and the Dancing With the Stars pro's two-year marriage. "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."
"I've been so shocked, like beyond words, and it's been heartbreaking," the former professional wrestler — who shares her 4-year-old son, Matteo, with Artem — confessed. "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."
- Nikki Garcia Admits Her Relationship With Artem Chigvintsev Wasn't 'Great for a Long Time' Before Sudden Divorce: 'I Played It Up'
- Starting Over: Nikki Garcia Deletes All Instagram Posts Days After Settling Divorce From 'DWTS' Pro Artem Chigvintsev
- Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev 'Butted Heads Often' Before Explosive Fight, Source Claims: 'They Were Verbally Abusive Toward Each Other'
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Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev share 4-year-old son Matteo.
Nikki noted: "The one thing that I have realized disconnecting from the world, it's when you know the truth, nothing else matters," she added. "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."
"All I need to do is focus on my healing. I need to focus on Matteo's healing," she concluded.
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev were married for two years before their split.
Nikki's return to her and Brie's podcast comes almost three months after she filed for divorce from Artem on Wednesday, September 11.
The Barmageddon host pulled the plug on her marriage following a domestic violence dispute that landed the former couple in headlines at the end of August.
Artem was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence at the exes' marital home on August 29, though the charges were dropped in September after Napa County's D.A.'s office's "thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented."
At the time, Artem said he was "incredibly relieved and grateful" by the D.A.'s office's decision not to formally press charges, as he admitted the situation had been "extremely difficult" for him.
