Artem Chigvintsev, Nikki Bella’s husband, is speaking out about the incident which has led to her filing for divorce.
It was revealed yesterday that the domestic violence charges against him have been dropped by police.
In a statement to E! News and People magazine on Wednesday he said: “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.”
Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley gave this statement: “The decision to not file charges against Mr. Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the DA’s Office. The DA’s office “may revisit the case if it learns of other incidents, or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known.”
DA Haley went onto to say: “While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence. We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.”
Chigvintsev stated that their son, Matteo, is his focus now.
“(Matteo) is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life. All along, my main concern has been for him. I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support, and care he needs as we move forward. I am hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on,” he continued. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, and legal team for standing by me during this challenging time. Your support has been invaluable, and I am thankful to everyone who believed in me and saw the truth for what it was,” he concluded. “I look forward to moving past this chapter and focusing on what truly matters—continue being the best father I can be.”
Chigvintsev was arrested on August 29th after there was an incident at the family home involving Chigvintsev and Bella.
The arrest occurred just two days after the couple celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary. The couple has a four-year-old son named Matteo.
TMZ reported that close friends of the couple are sadden but not surprised by the turn of events. “We’re told the consistent narrative from their marriage has been that their arguments often stemmed from issues involving control and belittlement,” wrote TMZ.
Garcia has admitted in the past that their marriage had issues when it came to how he spoke, communicated with her and they attended couples therapy.
A few months ago, Chigvintsev was accused of abuse while participating in the 2012 season of Strictly Come Dancing in Britain by his dance partner Fern Britton.
“He (Chigvintsev) would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me,” she told The Huffington Post UK.
She added: “He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you.’”
A source also told The Sun he would mock her weight too.
