Nikki Garcia's Inner Circle Reportedly Had Some Concerns About Her Marriage to Artem Chigvintsev

Nikki Garcia is officially moving on. The 40-year-old former WWE star filed for divorce from Artem Chigvintsev on Wednesday, Sept. 11, per TMZ . The decisive move comes on the heels of his domestic violence arrest on Aug. 29. While the news seems sudden and shocking to fans, Nikki’s inner circle reportedly had some concerns about the Dancing With the Star s pro during their two-year marriage.

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One Life & Style source shared that her twin sister, Brie Garcia, had noted some of the warning signs.”[Brie] worried about his temper. Like a lot of people, she found his sometimes controlling behavior troubling. There were fears things might escalate ,” the insider divulged. “Artem is known to have a temper. He’s a perfectionist and that makes him impatient at times. Nikki made excuses for him, saying it was because he was so passionate about his craft.”

Nikki addressed some of the issues she had with her then-fiancé on the Off the Vine podcast in 2021. “When he gets really stressed, he doesn’t realize his tone. We’re actually in therapy for this,” she explained. “I remember even in dress rehearsals, sometimes I’d be like, ‘Is he mad at me?’ It would make me feel really off and it would just be his tone.”

It seems that she had some warning signs even when they were only partners on Season 25 of Dancing With the Stars. “He kind of made a comment about my jive and got really mad at me. And I was like, ‘You know what, dude? J.Lo and Beyonce don’t jive, and I don’t have time for this,’” she added. “And I walked out. And I got in my car, and I remember at the time calling [former fiancé] John [Cena] and going, ‘I’m quitting. I’m not going to stand for this. He’s a d*ck.’”

Us Weekly confirmed that the couple is “ not living under the same roof .” She and their four-year-old son, Matteo, remained at their Napa, Calif. home while Chigvintsev is staying with a friend in the area. The Life & Style source described the situation as “a mess,” adding that Nikki “is determined to take her son and get out of the marriage. A split is bound to get ugly.”

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/