Nikki Bella Speaks Out After Husband’s Arrest on Domestic Violence Charge

Just one day after DWTS pro Artem Chigvintsev was arrested in Napa, Calif., and charged with felony domestic violence, wife Nikki Bella has issued a statement.

“This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” her team said in a statement, as reported by Variety.

Artem, 42, was booked into Napa County Jail on Thursday under penal code 273.5(a), which makes it “illegal to injure a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent in an act of domestic violence.” In order to be booked under that charge, an injury must be visible. Bail was posted at $25,000. A conviction can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor.

Related: Dancing With the Stars Pro Artem Chigvintsev Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

The police have not yet released any information about the alleged victim or details about the arrest, so it is unclear if Nikki was the victim of the assault.

“We will always protect our victims. We understand why people want to know the name. But we’re treating it just like every other domestic violence case,” said Henry Wofford, public information officer for Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

Artem and Nikki, who were married in Paris on August 26, 2022 after being paired on Dancing with the Stars, celebrated their wedding anniversary a few days ago.

They share son Matteo, who was born July 31, 2020.

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While Dancing with the Stars will return to ABC and Disney+ on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Artem will not be among this season’s pros, and that was a decision made prior to the arrest. He has competed on the dance competition 12 seasons, including last season with Bachelorette star Charity Lawson. They finished in fourth place.

Bella is set to co-host Netflix’s live competitive eating event, “Chestnut VS. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” on Monday.

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Artem’s good friend and former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke also spoke out on the arrest. On her podcast, she said, "Artem, someone I have grown up with, who actually ... we used to live together in my family's home in the Bay Area … I get kind of emotional. So he was arrested today, Thursday, and Variety confirmed as well that he was not set to be part of season 33.”

Burke continued, "My heart goes out to everyone involved. This is really hard for me because he is my family, and I don't know what to say here other than I hope everybody's okay. "Domestic violence and Artem don't really ... that's why it's so shocking.”

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