Nikki Garcia has been spotted for the first time since her ex-husband Artem Chigvintsev filed for joint custody of their four-year-old son Matteo and spousal support amid their ongoing divorce following his arrest for domestic violence late last month.
The 40-year-old retired WWE star held his son on his hip as he went for a walk in Napa, California, on Saturday morning.
The 42-year-old Dancing With The Stars pro, who removed Nikki from his Instagram profile before adding her back, responded to his wife’s divorce filing this week, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split in documents obtained by We weekly.
He listed the date of separation as August 29, the same day he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges following an alleged altercation at his home.
In addition to requesting 50/50 custody of Matteo, the Russian-born dancer has asked for spousal support and for Garcia to pay his legal fees, according to the documents.
Nikki Garcia has been spotted for the first time since her ex-husband Artem Chigvintsev filed for joint custody of their four-year-old son Matteo and spousal support amid their ongoing divorce following his arrest for domestic violence late last month.
Garcia wore tight black capri leggings and a matching black sleeveless, low-cut top.
The 40-year-old retired WWE star held his son on his hip as he went for a walk in Napa, California, on Saturday morning.
Garcia wore tight black capri leggings and a matching black sleeveless, low-cut top that revealed a small portion of her toned midriff.
The mother-of-one, who was formerly known as Nikki Bella, slid her red-pedicured feet into a pair of strappy black sandals.
By TMZShe was on her way to take her son to a dance class and dressed the little boy in black shorts, a black T-shirt and black sneakers.
For a few moments, the media personality wore a wide-brimmed visor as she pulled her shiny black locks back into a messy bun.
And she was carrying several bags, including a dark backpack, a quilted black Chanel bag with a chain strap and a beige handbag with a brown strap.
The beauty looked optimistic despite the drama in her life as she sipped two green drinks and shielded her eyes with oversized black sunglasses.
In his divorce filing, Artem claimed he was a putative spouse (a person who believes they are legally married to someone, but the marriage itself is not valid) between the dates of August 26, 2022, and January 19, 2023.
Chigvintsev and Garcia said ‘I do’ in August 2022 during a ceremony in Paris, France.
She put on a cheerful display in her low-cut crop top.
The beauty looked optimistic despite the drama in her life as she sipped on two green drinks.
For a few moments, the media personality wore a wide-brimmed visor as she pulled her shiny black locks back into a messy bun.
Garcia went makeup-free for the weekend outing in sunny Napa Valley.
But in the documents, according to Us Weekly, the professional dancer stated that they also tied the knot in the United States in January 2023.
Garcia filed for divorce Wednesday in Napa Superior Court, asking for sole legal and physical custody of their son.
She said she is open to Artem getting visitation rights for their son, who was born on July 31, 2020.
While Chigvintsev requested spousal support for Nikki, she asked to block the court’s ability to award spousal support to either party.
Just days before Artem was handcuffed, the couple had celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
At the time, she shared an emotional message in an Instagram post that read: “Happy anniversary my love. I can’t imagine my life without you. You are my everything.”
Garcia filed for divorce from Chigvintsev on Wednesday in Napa Superior Court, asking for sole legal and physical custody of their son.
Artem was booked into the Napa County Jail on felony domestic violence charges at 10:59 a.m. before being released on $25,000 bail at approximately 2:18 p.m.
Sources recently told DailyMail.com that Chigvintsev is desperately trying to save the marriage.
Police were called to the couple’s $1.5 million marital home in Yountville, California, following reports of a fight on August 29.
Sources said the couple called 911 twice: first to request assistance for an injury and then to ask paramedics not to come.
But because of the sounds of a domestic disturbance in the background, police from the Napa Sheriff’s Department arrived at the couple’s residence anyway and eventually arrested Chigvintsev.
He was booked into the Napa County Jail on felony domestic violence charges at 10:59 a.m. before being released on $25,000 bail at approximately 2:18 p.m.
Chigvintsev is scheduled to appear in court in Napa on Tuesday and cannot leave Napa County until the case is resolved.
