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As previously detailed, it’s all over between Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev.
It has been for awhile now.
The former WWE superstar filed to divorce the Dancing with the Stars personality in September… just days after Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
The celebrities got married in 2022 and are parents to a four-year old son named Matteo.
Following Chigvintsev’s arrest (the Napa County District Attorney’s office eventually declined to file charges), the estranged spouses submitted temporary restraining orders against each other.
In her legal documents, Garcia alleged multiple physical altercations with Chigvintsev — including the August 2024 incident in which she claimed that he “tackled me multiple times and pinned me to the ground while our child was present.”
The pair went on to settle the divorce and agreed to “drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively coparent their son,” Garcia’s rep told Us Weekly in a statement at the time.
As for how she’s holding up in the wake of this personal drama?
“I have to say that 2025 has been amazing so far for me,” Nikki says in the latest Us Weekly cover story.
“I’ve really taken the time to kind of date myself. I have days where I get to focus a lot on me and self-care and just really get to know who I am in my 40s. I feel like I have this whole new era to look at, and I get to choose how I want to be and [where to] take it.”
Garcia took an extended hiatus from her podcast and from social media after the split, admitting now that she needed time to process the “shock” of everything that transpired.
She returned to the former platform in early December, saying the outpouring of support from fans was “overwhelming.”
As you might expect, Garcia says her focus is entirely on her toddler, who is happy for now to go back and forth between homes.
“What’s crazy about coparenting is you get a schedule. It’s wild that one day it’s like, “OK, here are the days you get your son,” and that’s just what you do. For me, that part is incredibly tough,” Garcia added on this topic.
“I had never been in our home without him. So getting through those days is extremely difficult because I just love being around my son so much.”
We’re guessing almost all divorced parents can relate.
The wrestler and reality star never saw this romantic outcome coming, but…
“I feel like things happen for a reason. I’m stronger today than I’ve ever been. And that’s not only for myself, but for Matteo. I feel like being a mother and wanting the best for my son and knowing I’ll do whatever it takes for him to have that makes you incredibly strong.”
Garcia doesn’t want to have any more kids and doesn’t want to be legally bound to anyone again.
But she hasn’t given up on finding a soulmate, telling the tabloid:
“I can definitely see myself falling in love again… “I truly feel people come into your life for a reason. People come in, and they teach us things.
“And sometimes, when those loves don’t work out, you have to look and go, “What did I learn and what did I gain?” Because there’s always beauty in it.”