Why did Nikki Bella divorce husband Artem Chigvinstev? Split explored as WWE star ordered to pay child support

Nikki Bella, the professional wrestler who was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone in 2015, has reached an agreement to pay her ex-husband $3,500 per month for their son Matteo’s care. Nikki shares Matteo with Artem Chigvintsev, the Russian-born dancer known for his moves in Dancing With the Stars.

As per Wrestleview, Nikki Bella will pay her ex-husband a lump sum amount of $100,000 and will later complete the payment with an additional $100,000 before 2025 ends.

Nikki Bella, also known as Nikki Garcia, opened up about her separation with Artem in 2024, on the The Nikki & Brie Show, according to San Francisco Chronicle. She shared that in a way everything felt sudden to her, the dream she once had was crushed by reality.

“It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken… You know, you dream of having this family and you have this incredible love and it just goes the other way, I never saw any of it coming,” explained the wrestler.

What caused Nikki Bella's divorce

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev reached a private divorce settlement on November 21, 2024, closing a chapter that began with turmoil. Bella filed for divorce shortly after Chigvintsev was arrested in August 2024 at their home in Yountville. Per San Francisco Chronicle, he was allegedly arrested for,

inflicting injury on a spouse, co-habitant or co-parent in incidents of domestic violence.

The couple, who previously appeared together on reality television, opted to settle the matter through mediation rather than a public court process.

“We should have probably walked away a long time ago, so in the end, what happened wouldn’t have happened,” Bella later said.

Artem Chigvintsev was released from jail on $25,000 bail just hours after his arrest, according to a report from Page Six. Chigvintsev denied wrongdoing and claimed that his wife, Nikki Bella, was the aggressor in the incident. In his restraining order request, he stated that he had reached out to law enforcement

“seeking protection from his wife’s persistent aggression.”

Garcia, in her own filing, presented a different account. She alleged that following a verbal altercation, Chigvintsev tackled her to the ground and pinned her arms. According to Nikki Bella's claims, Chigvintsev was physically violent during a single incident and engaged in verbal abuse on other occasions. However, after reviewing the case, prosecutors chose not to press criminal charges.

On The Nikki & Brie Show, Bella also shared that her son Matteo will always be her top priority.

“I’m a mom and my son’s protection and privacy is the most important, I do want to continue to protect Matteo in those ways because that’s what’s been the hardest part about all of this... I didn’t know that your heart can break that many times in such a short period of time,” expressed Bella.

In the report shared by San Francisco Chronicle, Artem Chigvintsev shared that he lost $100,000 in potential earnings from dance work and social media promotions, despite not facing any criminal charges in connection to the incident.

Details from legal filings reported by Wrestling Headlines shed light on Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev’s co-parenting agreement. Bella will take on the full cost of Matteo’s speech therapy, while both parents have decided to split extracurricular expenses down the middle.

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On the business front, Bella keeps full control of her professional assets, including trusts like Stephanie Nicole Garcia Entertainment and her wine label, Bonita Bonita. Holiday custody will rotate annually, giving each parent time with Matteo during major celebrations.

The divorce settlement between the former couple, initially reached in November 2024, has now been finalized by the court. Their relationship began in 2019 after they met on Season 25 of Dancing With The Stars. Chigvintsev proposed the following year, and in 2022, the two were married in the city of love, Paris.

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