If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or find a local program that offers support.
A follow-up to Garcia’s sworn declaration.
There’s an extensive article that TMZ published which includes details of Nikki Garcia’s sworn declaration about the alleged abuse she faced at the hands of her husband, Artem Chigvintsev. A judge signed off on Garcia getting a restraining order against him. Garcia did file for divorce. Chigvintsev was placed in jail for domestic violence, but prosecutors did not file charges due to lack of evidence.
An update was provided via the New York Post. Artem was granted a restraining order against Garcia on the same day her order was granted. A statement from Artem’s lawyer, Ilona Antonyan, denies the allegations from Garcia and insists that Chigvintsev was not the ‘primary aggressor.’
It is crucial to consider the motivations of both parties in this situation. Mr. Chigvintsev contacted law enforcement on 8/29/24 seeking protection from his wife’s persistent aggression. While he was on the phone with the police, Ms. Garcia-Colace made a pointed statement, saying, ‘Do you understand where this is going now, Artem? You just ruined my career, and you know it.’
That day, someone was going to be arrested, and it wouldn’t have been Mr. Chigvintsev if Ms. Garcia Colace had told the truth. [Chigvintsev] denies ever tackling her. He was shocked to learn two weeks after the incident that she made this allegation against him; at that point it made sense to him why he was arrested.
As a result of wife’s self-serving statement, Mr. Chigvintsev’s career suffered, with numerous opportunities being canceled due to these false allegations. Men can also be victims of domestic violence; Mr. Chigvintsev’s case highlights this reality. He was not the primary aggressor.
There were photos included of scratches and marks on Chigvintsev from the alleged physical altercation with Garcia. He agreed with Garcia’s account of how their altercation started, which is that it began with a disagreement over their son Matteo’s breakfast. Chigvintsev added that Garcia criticized him on the morning of 8/29 for not having their child’s lunch prepared and that his muffin was not toasted enough.
He notes that Garcia ‘seemed stressed’ due to a gig that was coming up. She hosted the Netflix live competition special, ‘Unfinished Beef.’ Chigvintsev was told by Garcia that she does everything and he does not help, which he claims is false. According to Chigvintsev, Garcia berated him as he took Matteo towards the door to leave for school. The issue then escalated during a discussion about their son’s shoes.
He claims Garcia ‘completely lost it’ and started to scream at him to get out of her house and she was ‘sick of all of it.’ Artem said in his restraining order request that she forcefully threw both of their son’s shoes at him and it hit his chest area, but fortunately not did connect with their son. He said his first thought was the safety of Matteo and he looked confused and frightened.
Garcia continued shouting about wanting a divorce, per Chigvintsev. At this point, he claims he was pleading with Garcia to calm down. He took their son into his arms and tried to take him upstairs to his room, but that further escalated things.
He claims Garcia ‘tried to force herself in to open the door.’
I could not hold it, because she’s quite strong. As soon as the door began opening, Matteo start[ed] crying. I did not want him seeing his mother angry and confrontational in his bedroom. I wanted to protect Matteo from her lack of self-control at the moment. I squeezed myself through the door opening and tried to push myself out, while Petitioner continued to physically attack me and push her way in. I tried to get her off me and away from the door frame so that Matteo would not witness any further conflict. I cannot stress enough how many times I pleaded with her to stop and calm down. There was a mutual struggle, and both ended up on the ground.
Chigvintsev alleges that he was able to get his phone and call the authorities. He waited outside for police to show up and was shocked when he was arrested, claiming that Garcia lied to law enforcement. He denied claims that he tackled her twice and barricaded himself in a room with their son.
For the time being, they will share joint custody of Matteo and there will be reasonable daily FaceTime contact between the child and non-custodial parent. A judge ordered that neither parent shall make any negative remarks about the other in the presence of Matteo or should they question him about the other parent.
Garcia and Chigvintsev are looking to make their restraining orders permanent and both are scheduled for a hearing on October 21st. Garcia asked for sole legal and physical custody of their son and Chigvintsev responded by asking for joint custody and spousal support.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or find a local program that offers support.
