Artem Chigvintsev’s Arrest Is Shining Light on This Previous Accusation of Abuse

Trigger Warning: This story contains mention of domestic violence and assault.

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If you’ve followed Nikki Bella over the years, then you probably were just as surprised as us this week when reports confirmed that her husband, Dancing With the Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev , was arrested for suspicion of domestic violence, TMZ first reported. After all, the two fell in love in front of the cameras in Bella’s reality show, Total Bellas , and have shared sweet glimpses of their life together with fans ever since.

But, as fans continue to reckon with the news, an old accusation against Chigvintsev is coming to light. Back in 2015, TV host Fern Britton, who partnered with the Russian-born dancer in the UK’s version of DWTS , Strictly Come Dancing , accused him of abuse.

“He would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me,” Britton revealed on The Morning , per HuffPost UK .

According to Britton, Chigvintsev “manhandled” her during their rehearsals, and didn’t shy away from making some offensive remarks. “You just stand there and don’t move, I dance round you,” Britton accused Chigvintsev of saying. “Shut your face,” she remembered of him saying. “Go home before I kill you.”

Britton, as a response, would try to joke it out. “I would say, ‘Oh please just kill me, it would be easier.'”

“Or what was his other one? ‘If you go for a cup of tea now, I will blow off like an atomic bomb,'” Britton remembered. “I thought, well I won’t correct him on that one.”

At the time, Britton, who was eliminated during week 6 of the show, still managed to remember her time in the show fondly. “We did love each other for a moment or two but he wasn’t charm personified,” she said.

With an accusation as horrifying as this one, Chigvintsev’s recent arrest on Aug. 29 shows there’s surely a pattern in the dancer’s behavior.

This week, Chigvintsev was arrested in Yountville, CA, following a 911 call before 10 a.m., Napa County Sheriff’s public information officer Henry Wofford told E! News . He was then taken to the Napa County Department of Correction and was released on a bail of $25,000 a few hours later at 2 p.m.

“When someone is charged with felony domestic violence, usually this means there is a visible injury or credible eye witness,” Wofford told the outlet. “Our deputies felt comfortable arresting him on felony domestic violence charges.”

In other words, Chigvintsev’s victim was visibly injured at the time, leading the police no choice but to make the arrest. Details of who the victim was, including whether it was his wife Nikki or not, have yet to be revealed.

Since the incident, however, Nikki released a short statement to TMZ . “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” her rep stated. Our hearts go out to her at this time.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of emotional or physical violence, you can get help. To speak with someone who is trained to help with these situations, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233) or chat online at www.thehotline.org/