[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Artem Chigvintsev‘s wife is breaking her silence on his domestic violence arrest. Well, sort of.
Just one day after the Dancing With The Stars pro was arrested in Napa County, California, WWE star Nikki Garcia, formerly known as Nikki Bella, had her rep speak out on the legal trouble. That rep told E! News on Friday:
“This is a private matter and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”
Oof. They didn’t provide many details or confirm whether or not Nikki was involved in the initial incident, and yet this statement still says a lot…
As Perezcious readers know, the victim in the case has not been identified. However, the dancer was booked under California penal code section 273.5 (a)PC, which is related to acts of violence against a spouse, cohabitant, or intimate partner. So, naturally, that points to the ex-wrestler.
According to TMZ reports, cops were initially called to a residence at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday due to “a medical emergency.” As the paramedics and the fire department were on the way, another 911 call came in walking back the request for medical assistance. So, the fire and paramedics were called off. That said, cops still showed up to check things out — and they clearly didn’t like what they stumbled into since Artem was ultimately arrested about an hour later at 10 a.m. local time. He was later released on a $25,000 bond on Thursday afternoon.
It’s still super unclear what happened leading up to this incident, but it’s important to note that to get the charge of felony corporal injury to spouse, an injury has to be visible on the victim. Awful.
Related: Artem Claimed Nikki Was Assaulting HIM In 911 Call — And Sadly A Child Was Present…
So far, the unnamed victim has asked for complete confidentiality, so no details have been released. That said, Sheriff’s Office employees told the outlet that the victim is being cooperative in the investigation, opening up about their full history with the Strictly Come Dancing alum, including by sharing if the 42-year-old has been violent or abusive in the past.
Also, there are potential witnesses to the incident. The couple, who just celebrated their second wedding anniversary earlier this week, share a 4-year-old son, Matteo. We sure hope he wasn’t the one to see this go down…
Aside from this comment from her rep, Nikki has not publicly opened up about the legal matter yet. We’re sending her, Matteo, and those around them a ton of love right now. This cannot be an easy time for them.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
[Image via Complex/ET/YouTube]
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