Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia settle divorce 2 months after split
Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia have settled their divorce.
In a statement Wednesday, Garcia's rep confirmed the exes have settled their divorce to "move on" and focus on parenting their 4-year-old son Matteo.
"Nikki and Artem have settled their divorce and will not be going to court. Both parties decided to drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son," Garcia's rep said. "Nikki's number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter. She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received during this difficult time."
The WWE icon and reality TV star, formerly known by her stage name Nikki Bella, filed to divorce the "Dancing with the Stars" pro in September after he was arrested in California on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
Nikki Garcia files to divorce Artem Chigvintsev weeks after his domestic violence arrest
According to court records reviewed by USA TODAY at the time, Garcia — whose legal name is Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace — submitted a filing to dissolve her two-year marriage. The couple, who met when they were partnered on "Dancing with The Stars" in 2017, married in 2022.
Chigvintsev proposed to Garcia in France back in November 2019, and they made the news official on Instagram on Jan. 3, 2020.
The 42-year-old dancer was arrested Aug. 29 and booked in Napa County jail. He was being held on $25,000 bail and was released more than three hours later. Later in September, he broke his silence on the incident in a statement to E! News and People magazine after prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against him.
"I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped. This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed," he told the outlets. Chigvintsev added his "focus has always been and will always be" his son.
According to TMZ and People, in her court filing Garcia cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce and said Aug. 29 — the date of Chigvintsev's arrest — was the day they separated. She also requested legal and physical custody of their young son, the outlets reported, while keeping the door open for visitation rights for Chigvintsev.
Chigvintsev, who won Season 29 of "DWTS" with Kaitlyn Bristowe in 2020 and came in fourth place with Charity Lawson last season, has been on the ABC competition show for a decade, except for a hiatus during the 2019 season. He also was not on the Season 33 cast this year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia settle divorce after rocky split