Artem Chigvintsev Claims ‘False Allegations’ From Nikki Bella Cost Him $100,000

The pro wrestling world was shocked when the seemingly happy marriage between Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev blew up in scandalous headlines. Artem was arrested and this controversy went very public. Now, he claims that those false allegations has cost him $100,000.

On August 29, 2024, Artem Chigvintsev was arrested and booked into Napa County Jail on a felony domestic violence charge involving an alleged injury to Nikki. Nikki has chosen not to discuss the incident publicly, with her representative describing it as a “private matter.” Almost two weeks after his arrest, on September 11, 2024, Nikki filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences” and requesting legal and physical custody of Matteo while allowing Chigvintsev visitation rights.

On September 24, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced that her office would not file charges against Chigvintsev. Haley stated, “The decision to not file charges against Mr. Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented.” She added that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove that Artem caused harm. Meanwhile, some Napa residents expressed support for Artem, noting they felt safe and that he faced undue bias due to the arrest.

During the divorce proceedings, Nikki Bella sought full custody of Matteo and requested that Artem have supervised visitation along with anger management classes. However, a Napa County judge ruled that the parents would share joint custody of Matteo, a decision aligned with Artem’s initial request.

US Weekly has reported that Artem Chigvintsev has claimed his arrest affected his income and career. “After the mugshot and the arrest based on her false allegations, I was taken off the website faculty list, resulting in a loss of over $100K in income,” he stated in a court document. He also noted that his removal from the DWTS roster impacted his earnings.

Chigvintsev alleged that Nikki’s actions impacted his social media revenue as well, claiming, “She continues to benefit from [social media promotion] as she was more worried about her career when she lied to the police than mine.” He went on to deny any aggression toward Nikki, saying, “She is the one with the temper… It is further a lie that I was growing increasingly angry, snapping at her, and yelling. I was not violent with her.”

Nikki Bella has asserted that Artem was the aggressor in their relationship. Following his arrest, she filed for a temporary Domestic Violence Restraining Order to protect herself and their son. Her rep stated, “Nikki’s number one priority has always been the well-being of her son… she continues to ask for privacy for her and her family during this difficult time.”

Nikki Bella started dating her Dancing with the Stars partner Artem Chigvintsev in January 2019. The couple got engaged a year later on January 3, 2020. On July 31, 2020, they welcomed their first child, a son named Matteo. They later married on August 26, 2022. We will keep an eye on this story for more updates as they are made available.