TW: This article contains discussions of alleged domestic violence that
Warning: This article contains discussions of alleged domestic violence cases in which a child was present.
Dancing with the stars Fans were shocked when they learned that Artem Chigvintsev He was arrested on August 29, 2024, on charges of physical abuse of his wife. While the victim’s identity has not been revealed, Artem’s wife, Nikki Garcia, has asked for privacy during this difficult time.
The couple, who met as partners on the DWTS dance floor, didn’t become romantically involved until Nikki and John Cena split. Artem finally proposed in 2020, and the couple tied the knot in Paris in 2022. They have a 4-year-old son named Matteo.
Artem’s case was under review by the prosecutor. The prosecutor decided that Artem would not face criminal charges. He is scheduled to be arraigned on November 4, 2024. So, it’s no surprise that Nikki filed for divorce.
Now that some time has passed, people are starting to weigh in on the disturbing incident. Let’s take a look at how the DWTS cast members reacted to Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest.
Cheryl Burke, DWTS alumna
Cheryl Burke has been a professional dancer on DWTS since season two. She retired from the show after season 31. Cheryl then launched a podcast called Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans, which delves into all the DWTS drama. Unfortunately for Cheryl, she had to discuss Artem’s arrest on her podcast.
“I’m hesitant to smile right now because of the current news… I’m in complete shock about it,” Cheryl said. She added that she “grew up” with Artem. “We lived together in my family’s house in the Bay Area. It’s very shocking. I’m kind of emotional,” Cheryl explained. “My heart goes out to everyone involved.”
“It’s really hard for me because he was – he’s my family. I don’t know what to say here other than I hope everyone is okay,” Cheryl added.
DWTS for Gleb Savchenko
Actor Gleb Savchenko is a current cast member of DWTS. In Season 33, he was paired with model Brooks Nader. So far, Gleb is the only current cast member who has spoken out about Artem. He misses his ballroom buddy. Artem was reportedly not invited back for Season 33. This was before his arrest on domestic violence charges.
“He’s part of the family. He’s such an amazing dancer that people don’t realize that,” Gleb explained. “It’s quality. It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.” The DWTS pro also praised Artem for knowing “how to create a beautiful routine.”
Gleb and Artem seem to be good friends. “He’s just my brother and I send him love and positivity. I talk to him all the time,” Gleb said. Meanwhile, Gleb doesn’t seem to be worried about how his comments will affect his recording with Brooks. And by the way, this duo is super cute!
DWTS contestant Lea Thompson
During season 19 of DWTS, actress Lea Thompson was Artem’s partner. And it doesn’t sound like Lea had the best experience on the show. “It was hard working with him because it was his first year and it was so important to him. He was so strong. It was more important to him than it was to me, honestly,” Lea said.
However, Leah had experience in modern dance and ballet. What should have been a huge advantage turned out to be a disadvantage. “On the first day, he said, ‘I’ve never done any of this stuff before, I’ve only done ballroom dancing,’” Leah said. “I was never allowed to say, ‘Can I try this?’” “He got really mad at me.” Oh my!
One of Artem’s comments upset and confused Leah. The actress said: “I remember he told me that men are much better than women. I said: Why? He said: Because they are stronger. I said: But they don’t have children. I have a child.” I guess Artem didn’t like that.
DWTS contestant Kaitlyn Bristowe
During Season 29 of DWTS, Bachelorette stars Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem fought their way to the Mirrorball Trophy. It was Artem’s first and last taste of victory on the show. They may have been a great couple on the dance floor, but Kaitlyn and Artem didn’t stay in touch.
Before Bachelorette contestant Charity Lawson hit the dance floor on Season 32, Kaitlyn shared her perspective. “Well, they’re all idiots,” she told Charity of some male professionals. “They’re all idiots, believe me.”
After Artem’s recent arrest, Kaitlyn spoke out about her ex. “I think I won’t say anything until they’re ready to say something. They asked for privacy and when people ask for privacy, I see the media and everyone has an opinion,” she said.
“All I can think about is that domestic violence is unacceptable and it’s scary and it’s so sad,” she continued. “And I hope everyone is okay. My heart goes out to little Mateo.” I think everyone is worried about Mateo and Nikki. “I just pray that they all either get better or find peace and space and help,” Kaitlyn said.
DWTS contestant Charity Lawson
Charity, who came in fourth place with Artem on Season 32 of DWTS, opened up about the sensitive topic on Page Six’s Reali-Tea podcast.[I was] “It was a bit of a surprise, I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Charity said.
Of course, charity is “obviously” [doesn’t] “I don’t know any details” of what happened on the day of Artem’s arrest, she added.[I’m] “Give them space and… all the love and healing.” While Charity may have done the rumba with Artem, she was a huge fan of his wife.
Charity then shared that she hadn’t been in contact with Artem since Season 32 ended. But when Charity was subjected to hateful and racially inappropriate comments on social media, Artem supported her.
“I think he was more shocked than anything because he was like, ‘This is happening? This is what is being said?’” she explained. “He was like, ‘I don’t understand.’ That’s exactly how I feel about Artem’s alleged actions. There is no acceptable excuse. Period.”
DWTS Pro-Maxim Chmerkovskiy
Recently, former DWTS legend Maksim Chmerkovskiy shared his thoughts on Artem’s arrest during The TMZ podcast. He admitted that he sent Artem a text message. “It was just, ‘Stay strong, and if this is something you know, it’s your responsibility, you’re responsible for your actions,'” Maksim said of his message.
However, Maxim was reluctant to believe that Artem had acted violently. “The man I know… you know, I know he’s a very kind, gentle, beautiful person. Artem… everyone I know around him loves him the same way,” he explained.
Maxim and Artem are very close. Maxim and his wife Peta Murgatroyd, Maxim’s brother Val Chmerkovskiy, and his wife Jenna Johnson have been spending quality time with Artem and Nikki. And of course, Maxim sent his best wishes to Artem’s estranged wife.
Now that Artem has been arrested, has he seen the last of himself on the dance floor at DWTS? If talent is anything to go by, Maxim believes Artem might be dancing on the dance floor again. But if the allegations against him turn out to be true? “Nobody wants to be on a team with an abusive person, you know?” Maxim said. “So hopefully that’s not the case and we can keep going.”
It will be interesting to see how the different DWTS cast members react to Artem’s arrest. I wish nothing but the best for Nikki and Mateo moving forward. I hope Nikki and Artem’s divorce turns out to be amicable.
Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues mentioned in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
Tell us – what do you think of the DWTS cast members’ reactions to Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest?
