Cheryl Burke is sharing her thoughts after Nikki Garcia filed for divorce from Artem Chigvintsev, which came in the wake of his arrest for domestic violence last month.
“This is a really unfortunate situation and I just hope everyone is okay,” the former Dancing with the Stars pro said. People on Friday, referring to Nikki, Artem and their four-year-old son, Matteo.
She added: “I hope Nikki and Artem are protecting their hearts and most importantly, I hope their son is okay.”
Cheryl sent her love to Artem and Nikki, emphasizing the importance of taking time to heal, even if it requires putting their careers on hold.
She then offered some advice to former WWE wrestler Garcia, drawing on her own experience going through a public divorce from actor Matthew Lawrence in 2022.
Cheryl Burke shares her thoughts after Nikki Garcia filed for divorce from Artem Chigvintsev, which came in the wake of his domestic violence arrest last month; seen in 2023
Cheryl sent her love to both Artem and Nikki (pictured in 2019), emphasizing the importance of taking time to heal, even if it requires putting their careers on hold.
“It’s not easy, but I think if you give yourself the time you need to grieve, we all grieve differently, there’s no one way someone should grieve, but it’s also important to choose yourself and protect yourself,” she explained.
“Because I think, especially in today’s society, we tend to just take care of the needs of others or what we think people want from us without really sitting down with ourselves and just figuring it out, even if that doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with today’s society.”
On August 29, Artem was arrested on felony domestic violence charges following an incident at the $1.5 million California home he shares with his wife, Nikki.
He was released a few hours later on $25,000 bail, while Nikki has since left the state with their four-year-old son, Matteo, as shown in exclusive photos obtained by DailyMail.com.
Following the arrest, Cheryl was the first among Artem’s former Dancing With The Stars colleagues to publicly address the situation.
During an episode of her podcast Sex, Lies and Spray Tans, professional dancer Burke said she was “in complete shock” by Artem’s arrest.
“I’m hesitant to smile right now at the current news,” said Burke, who considers the Russian-born star a good friend for years.
“It’s very hard for me because he was part of my family,” she continued. “I don’t know what to say except that I hope everyone is okay.”
Following the arrest, Cheryl was the first among Artem’s former Dancing With The Stars colleagues to publicly address the situation.
“Brie encouraged Nikki to leave the marriage. Violence of any kind is not tolerated and they were very concerned about Nikki and their son,” the source said.
Burke’s connection to Chigvintsev predates his DWTS fame, with the star revealing that they had literally “grown up” together.
“We lived together in my family’s house in the Bay Area,” Burke said. “It’s very shocking. I get a little emotional. My heart goes out to everyone involved,” Burke concluded.
Meanwhile, Artem’s DWTS co-star Maksim Chmerkovskiy decided to refrain from condemning Artem, stating that the allegations do not match the man he knows, but that he will hold Artem accountable if they are true.
The dance professional spoke about his friend and former co-star in The TMZ Podcastrevealing that she texted Artem after learning of the arrest.
Maksim said he trusts the Artem he knows wouldn’t hurt a woman, but told him that if he hit Nikki Bella, he should take responsibility.
Although he can imagine several scenarios, he prefers not to rush to judgment because he was not there.
He also expressed his support for Nikki and wished her the best during her difficult divorce.
Regarding Artem’s potential return to DWTS, Maksim stated that if it’s based solely on ability, he should return, but seemed less sure whether the allegations against Artem turn out to be true.
Sources close to the family told DailyMail.com that Artem has to be supervised “if and when” he wants to see his four-year-old son Matteo.
His arrest, which allegedly occurred after Nikki threw shoes at him, came days after he and Nikki celebrated their second wedding anniversary; they are seen in 2017.
The podcast comes after Artem, who briefly deleted and then re-added Nikki from his Instagram profile, responded to her divorce filing citing “irreconcilable differences.”
He listed August 29 as the date of separation, which coincides with his arrest on felony domestic violence charges following an alleged altercation at his home.
In addition to seeking joint custody of their son Matteo, she is requesting spousal support and that Nikki cover her legal fees.
The decision comes after sources told DailyMail.com that Chigvintsev is desperately trying to save the marriage.