Nikki Bella Wants to End Marriage to Artem Chigvintsev ‘Quickly and Painlessly’: ‘No Going Back’

Nikki Garcia (formerly known as Nikki Bella) is pulling the plug on her two-year marriage to Artem Chigvintsev . The former professional wrestler, 40, filed for divorce from the Dancing With the Stars alum, 42, on September 11, just two weeks after he was arrested on domestic violence charges.

“There’s no going back,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style . “Nikki doesn’t even recognize Artem as the man she married.”

The pair, who sought couples therapy in 2021, had been having problems long before police were called to their Napa Valley home. “Nikki and Artem’s relationship was volatile,” reveals the source, adding that Nikki’s twin sister, Brie Garcia , worried about Artem’s temper. “Like a lot of people, she found his, at times, controlling behavior troubling .”

The retired WWE star wanted to try and make it work, though. “Nikki hoped that counseling would help get them to a healthier place,” the source explains. “She didn’t want to break the family up, but then Artem crossed the line, and now she feels she has no other choice.”

The Russian dancer has reportedly been staying with a friend after he was released on $25,000 bail while Nikki and their 4-year-old son , Matteo, remain at the family home.

Says the source: “She just wants to end their marriage as quickly and painlessly as possible .”