Artem Chigvintsev Awarded Shared Custody in Bitter Divorce From Nikki Garcia
'Dancing with the Stars' star Artem Chigvintsev has been awarded joint custody of his son during his tumultuous divorce proceedings.
Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia, who met in 2017 while paired together on Season 25 of the celebrity dancing competition, have been going through a contentious divorce since a domestic abuse occurrence back in August.
Now, according to 'TMZ,' a Napa County judge has ruled in favor of joint custody of the estranged couple's 4-year-old son, Matteo. The decision, reached during a two-hour hearing, aligns with Chigvintsev's original request for shared custody, which he made in his divorce response in September.
Garcia, 40, initially sought sole custody, asking the court to limit Chigvintsev to supervised visitation and require him to complete anger management classes. However, the judge's ruling did not include these stipulations.
Tensions between the former couple escalated earlier this month when Garcia obtained a restraining order against Chigvintsev, citing allegations of domestic abuse. In response, the dancer claimed Garcia had been the aggressor in their relationship.
The 'Burn the Floor' alum was arrested for domestic violence in late August, though the Napa County District Attorney declined to press charges, explaining in a statement that they could not "ethically file charges" based on the evidence available. During the custody hearing, Chigvintsev, 42, testified that he does not have anger issues, a point seemingly accepted by the judge since there was no mandate for anger management classes. Both parents were instead ordered to undergo individual therapy and parenting classes to enhance their co-parenting skills.
The divorce process is far from over, with a two-day trial scheduled for December to finalize matters. Chigvintsev's attorney, Ilona Antonyan, issued a statement to 'TMZ' clarifying her client "denies ever tackling Nikki."
Back in late September, the domestic violence charges against the Russian professional dancer were dropped. Following this ruling, Chigvintsev took to his Instagram Story writing, "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."
