DWTS' Artem Chigvintsev's Bad Reputation Has Jumped Back To The Forefront

The following article includes references to domestic violence.

“Dancing with the Stars” has had its fair share of scandals over the years, but none have been as shocking as Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest. While the professional dancer didn’t have a sparkling reputation before he was booked on a felony domestic violence charge, fans have reacted to the news with disbelief. “Get. OUT. Okay I absolutely did not see this coming. I audibly gasped,” read one comment on the “DWTS” subreddit.

On August 29, emergency personnel responded to a 911 call from the Napa County home of Chigvintsev and his wife, “Total Bellas” star Nikki Garcia. However, no ambulance ever arrived at the scene because someone placed another call withdrawing the request for assistance, according to TMZ. Chigvintsev did have to answer to the police, however. He was booked at Napa County Jail, and his bail was set at $25,000. His alleged victim’s name has not been released, but he was charged with injuring “a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent,” Variety reported.

Henry Wofford, a spokesperson for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, told the Daily Mail that a victim must have noticeable injuries for their attacker to receive a felony charge, as Chigvintsev did. “Sometimes there would be evidence of blood, sometimes scratches, sometimes it’s bruises,” Wofford said. Per TMZ, the alleged victim in this case has requested “total confidentiality.” TMZ further reported that authorities were questioning whether the alleged victim had been harmed by Chigvintsev in the past. The dancer has been accused of violent behavior before, but in that instance, no charges were ever filed.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Before Artem Chigvintsev became a familiar face to “Dancing with the Stars” viewers, he competed on its parent series across the pond, “Strictly Come Dancing.” His celebrity partner for Season 10 of the reality competition was television host Fern Britton, who made some explosive allegations about him during a 2015 event for the British newspaper The Times. She made their training sessions sound nightmarish, recalling, “He would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me.” According to the Mirror, Britton claimed that Chigvintsev was also verbally abusive. “He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you,'” she revealed. The former “Celebrity Big Brother” competitor added that Chigvintsev threatened to unleash his temper if she took a break during rehearsals. Of their working relationship’s downward spiral, she said, “We did love each other for a moment or two but he wasn’t charm personified.”

Chigvintsev vehemently denied the claims, insisting that he was nothing but respectful toward his former dance partner. “I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me,” he stated.

According to a 2012 report by The Sun, an insider claimed that Chigvintsev also made an insensitive joke about Britton’s weight when they were competing on “Strictly Come Dancing.” However, another source insisted that he did no such thing, adding that it would be out of character for him.

Nikki Garcia admitted to being jealous of Kaitlyn Bristowe when “The Bachelorette” star was partnered with Artem Chigvintsev for Season 29 of “Dancing with the Stars.” In a 2021 episode of “Total Bellas,” she explained that it wasn’t just Bristowe’s beauty that was making her feel down in the dumps about herself, but also the way Chigvintsev acted around his celeb partner. “It’s not about her and him. I don’t have a fear of Artem [cheating]. It’s wanting what she’s getting from him,” she explained (via Hollywood Life). “Can he come home and laugh with me? Can he come home and ask me how I’m doing?”

When Garcia chatted with Bristowe on the “DWTS” champ’s “Off the Vine” podcast, she revealed that she did not get that joyful version of Chigvintsev when she was paired with him on the show in 2017. Garcia was still engaged to her ex, John Cena, at the time, so her relationship with Chigvintsev was strictly professional. She told Bristowe that she almost quit the show over the way her dance partner spoke to her in front of the troupe dancers when she was struggling with her jive choreography. “When he gets really stressed, he doesn’t realize his tone,” she said. “We’re actually in therapy for this.” She added that she has a difficult time telling when her husband is angry. 

On “Total Bellas,” Nikki revealed that Chigvintsev also wasn’t a pleasure to be around after he was cut from Season 28 of “DWTS.” She said, “I did everything I could do to make him smile and make him happy, and nothing worked.”

The TLC network would have loved to feature Artem Chigvintsev and Giselle Peacock’s tragic love story on “90 Day Fiance,” but they were more interested in appearing on a different reality series: “So You Think You Can Dance.” Peacock, an American ballroom pro, first met Chigvintsev at a dance competition. She started dating the Russian native, and he moved in with her. “He literally had no money, so for the first eight months I supported him by buying all his food, clothes, dance classes, entertainment,” she told the Daily Mail. The pair started competing together and became a top-ranked ballroom dance couple while Chigvintsev was in America on a work visa. 

The couple got married in 2004 and both decided to audition for “SYTYCD” the following year. According to Peacock, Chigvintsev ghosted her after he scored a spot on the show, and she didn’t. “He literally disappeared out of my life. He stopped taking my calls,” she said. He never even bothered to collect his belongings, which she probably should have sold to cover the money he owed her. “I was left to pay his outstanding bills,” Peacock told the Mirror. When she decided to divorce Chigvintsev, she had to let him know via voicemail. His cold-hearted behavior made Peacock start to suspect that he had been using her to obtain a green card all along.

Peacock also believed that Chigvintsev had found a few things he valued more than love. “He became more and more obsessed with fame, success and money,” she told the Daily Mail.

Before his divorce from Giselle Peacock was finalized, Artem Chigvintsev began dating “Dancing with the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Their two-year relationship ended in 2008, but they went on to have a long working relationship.

While Chigvintsev scored his first mirrorball trophy in 2020, some fans were convinced that Inaba had been working against him all season to prevent him from winning the competition. On social media, there was a lot of speculation that the judge was being overly critical of Chigvintsev and Kaitlyn Bristowe’s performances because of her romantic history with Chigvintsev. According to Inaba, fans even started lashing out at her online. On “The Talk,” she addressed her critics. “It doesn’t make me change the way I judge,” she said (via E!). “I’m not about to change because you try to bully me.”

Unfortunately, Chigvintsev gave Inaba’s haters more ammo to use against her when he seemed to suggest that he agreed with them. Of Inaba’s critiques, he told ET, “At this point it starts being a little personal, I feel like.” Nikki Garcia sided with Inaba, telling Page Six that she believed the judge’s feedback was fair and given with the intention of helping Chigvintsev and Bristowe improve. Garcia told Us Weekly that she was eventually able to get Chigvintsev to realize that he was in the wrong, and he even filmed a video apology for Inaba.

Viewers who watched the “Nikki Bella Says I Do” wedding special were left wondering whether Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev would make it to the altar after witnessing the couple’s behavior leading up to their big day. One point of contention between the two was Chigvintsev leaving Paris, where their wedding was taking place, to visit his parents in Turkey. He was taking Matteo with him, and Nikki was having a difficult time grappling with the idea of her toddler son flying off to another country without her. “They’re going to be in Turkey for four days, which is giving me massive anxiety,” she said (via People). Instead of trying to comfort her and assure her that everything was going to be fine, Nikki claimed that Chigvintsev got defensive whenever she tried to discuss how she was feeling with him.

Nikki’s sister, Brie Garcia, became a mediator for the couple. While expressing her frustration to her twin, Nikki explained why she was finding it hard to get over their argument. “Artem has said things that have made me distant towards him because they are over the line,” she shared.

In an interview with Extra, Nikki tried to paint her volatile relationship in a positive light while admitting that it wasn’t perfect. “We will argue, sometimes yell, but we always will understand each other…” she said. “He accepts me for me, wild and crazy and strong.”