Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev was arrested in Napa County, California, on August 29, 2024, according to a booking record obtained by Heavy. He was arrested at 9:59 a.m. local time, according to the record, and booked less than one hour later.
According to TMZ, Chigvintsev, 42, is facing a domestic violence charge and is being held on $25,000 bail. The specific charge is listed in the booking record as “273.5(a)PC,” which is a penal code that “makes it illegal to injure a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent in an act of domestic violence,” according to Kraut Law Group.
A rep for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ that authorities responded to a domestic violence call on Thursday morning. The victim in the case, who has not been named, suffered injuries, the rep told the outlet.
Heavy has reached out to a rep for Chigvintsev as well as the Napa County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
Chigvintsev is married to Nikki Garcia. The two tied the knot in August 2022. It is unknown if Chigvintsev’s arrest has anything to do with his wife. Per her Instagram Stories, Garcia was in Napa with her husband for this particular trip. She shared that she was scheduled to have a facial on August 29 at Nude Medical Aesthetics.
The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” is slated to premiere on September 17. According to Variety, Chigvintsev is not part of the cast.
Fans Reacted to Artem Chigvintsev’s Arrest on Reddit
Shortly after news of Chigvintsev’s arrest was reported by TMZ, a screenshot of the story was posted it on Reddit. Dozens of fans have reacted on the thread.
“Was not expecting this at all so shocking that he would do this I saw his post with Nikki last night of their wedding photo so seeing this news today just feels so crazy. It goes to show that you never know what goes on behind closed doors,” one person wrote.
“It’s a domestic charge so the victim has to be an immediate family member.. I hope all parties are safe and okay,” another comment read.
“This is so shocking and heartbreaking. He was one of my favorite pros,” someone else said.
“I would never in a million years expected this. I hope Nikki and Matteo are okay,” a fourth Redditor added.
Artem Chigvintsev & Nikki Garcia Celebrated Their Wedding Anniversary Just Days Before His Arrest
Chigvintsev and Garcia first met on season 25 of “Dancing With the Stars.” The two didn’t start dating in January 2019, two years later, according to Us Weekly.
On August 26, Garcia posted a tribute to her husband on their two-year wedding anniversary. In the caption, she quoted the song, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” made famous by Elvis Presley. She then shared a personal message for her husband.
“This song is our love story. I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem. Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast. And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be. Happy Anniversary @theartemc I love you,” she wrote.
Chigvintsev also posted a tribute to Garcia.
“Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life with out you. You are my everything,” he wrote.
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