Getty Professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev and retired wrestler Nikki Bella mourned the death of Len Goodman.
Professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev and retired wrestler Nikki Bella mourned the death of Len Goodman, the longtime judge of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and Britain’s “Strictly Comes Dancing.”
“Absolutely lost for words,” Chigvintsev, 40, wrote via Instagram on April 24. “Waking up this morning to hear about your passing is heartbreaking. We lost an incredible human being. Someone who was a true gentleman, very kind, full of life and the best head judge.”
“I’ve worked with Len on both “Strictly Come Dancing” and DWTS and I have to say that his presence will be truly missed and he will always remain in our hearts ❤️,” Chigvintsev continued. “As for me whether it’s a SEVEN or from Len, it’s a 10 I will cherish that forever! Rest In Peace.”
Goodman was the head judge on “DWTS” from 2005 until his retirement in November 2022. Chigvintsev, who moved to the U.S. from Russia in 2003, joined the “DWTS” universe in 2014.
Chigvintsev and Bella, 39, met on “Dancing With the Stars” when they paired together on season 25 of Dancing with the Stars in 2017. At the time, she was engaged to wrestler John Cena, 46.
Chigvintsev and Bella share a son together, 3-year-old Matteo. In 2022, they got married in Paris.
Bella Was ‘Shocked and ‘Heartbroken’ by Goodman’s Death
Bella issued a statement via Instagram on April 25, saying she was “shocked and heartbroken” after Goodman died.
“There are some people that come into your life, and just for a short period of time, that can have a massive impact on you,” Bella wrote via Instagram on April 25. “Len is one of those for me, and so many others. Wether it was in our homes on Monday nights or in the ballroom.”
The mother-of-one remembered waiting in line to say goodbye to Goodman after he announced his retirement from “DWTS.” “Well as you can imagine the line was long to give their best regards to him,” Bella penned. “He was and is SO loved!”
At the end of her post, Bella thanked Goodman for the memories they created together and for making her time on “DWTS” “unforgettable.”
“For pushing me with your critiques, believing in me that I can for a moment dance in an industry that you became an icon in, and the off tv pep talks, you truly made me feel like a champion within,” Bella wrote. “You will be sooooo missed!”
Despite Rumors, Chigvintsev and Bella Are Legally Married
Rumors swirled that Chigvintsev and Bella were not legally married after their 2022 ceremony in Paris, but the former wrestler shot down that speculation.
“We have a license in Paris and we have a license here in the U.S. I mean, it’s confidential so I don’t know if someone tried to search for it and couldn’t find it,” Bella said during a January 2023 episode of “Watch What Happens Live,” per E! Online. “We’re legally married—twice. Two countries.”
Their son, Matteo, was involved in the ceremony, but he “never made it down the aisle,” Bella said on “WWHL,” per E! Online.
“A lot of drama happened around that,” she continued, according to the outlet. “I just had this beautiful dream that my son would waltz down the aisle like his daddy in ‘The Nutcracker’ and that did not happen. That was a lot of expectation for a 2-year-old.”