Artem Chigvintsev Shows off Bloody Scratches, Severe Bruises After Claiming Estranged Wife Nikki Garcia Was Abusive

Artem Chigvintsev is claiming his estranged wife Nikki "Bella" Garcia was actually the aggressor after their recent domestic violence dispute — with photos to prove it.

The choreographer was arrested on Thursday, August 29, for felony domestic violence and was booked into Napa County Jail.

His bail was posted at $25,000, per 'Page Six.'

Now, in images obtained by the 'New York Post' on Friday, the 'Dancing with the Stars' alum showed off scratches on his elbow, neck, and hands from abuse he says he endured from Garcia.

The 42-year-old's attorney, Ilona Antonyan, claimed in a statement that "Mr. Chigvintsev contacted law enforcement on 8/29/24 seeking protection from his wife's persistent aggression."

"[Chigvintsev] denies ever tackling her. He was shocked to learn two weeks after the incident that she made this allegation against him; at that point it made sense to him why he was arrested," the attorney added. "As a result of wife's self-serving statement, Mr. Chigvintsev's career suffered, with numerous opportunities being canceled due to these false allegations. Men can also be victims of domestic violence; Mr. Chigvintsev's case highlights this reality. He was not the primary aggressor."

Chigvintsev said Garcia was "forcefully throwing both of Matteo's sneakers at me," he described, referencing their 4-year-old son, claiming that "she hit my chest area" but "fortunately the shoes did not hit Matteo although he was right next to me" during their altercation.

"[M]y first reaction was obviously safety of Matteo because he was standing right by my side," he recalled, per the outlet.

On Thursday, Chigvintsev was granted a restraining order against his estranged WWE spouse, the same day she was granted a protective order against him.

He first broke his silence on the domestic violence charges thrown against him, which led to his arrest late August.

The professional dancer penned a lengthy statement addressing the issue and shared it publicly through his Instagram Stories after learning that the charges would no longer be filed against him late last month.

"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," he wrote in the first slide of his post.

Prosecutors dropped the charges after reviewing the case and learned that there was not enough evidence to move forward.

Meanwhile, in the succeeding slides, he appeared to address his divorce from his wife Nikki Garcia. The retired professional wrestler, 40, filed for divorce weeks after Chigvintsev's arrest on Aug. 29. In response, the Russian dancer also filed for divorce.

Tags

Dwts, Dancing with the Stars, Domestic violence