Nikki Bella gushed over husband Artem Chigvintsev in romantic anniversary post days before his DV arrest
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA: Just days before WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella’s husband Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge, the couple gushed about each other on social media.
As they celebrated their second wedding anniversary, Nikki, professionally known as Nikki Garcia, raved about her ‘Dancing With The Stars’ pro husband on Monday, August 26.
Celebrating their second wedding anniversary, the former WWE star, 40, posted a video montage on her Instagram on Monday, where she not only professed her love for Artem but also declared “it was all meant to be.”
Nikki Bella gushed about husband Artem Chigvintsev days before his arrest
Nikki Bella's husband, Artem Chigvintsev, was arrested by Napa County Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday, August 29, under a California law that makes it “illegal to injure a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent in an act of domestic violence," per New York Post.
However, just days before the arrest, the couple celebrated the second anniversary of their dreamy Paris nuptials.
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The WWE Hall of Famer shared the clips from her wedding with Haley Reinhart’s cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ set in the background.
Penning the song's lyrics on her Instagram, she wrote, “Wise men say/Only fools rush in/But I can’t help falling in love with you.”
As she continued to write the lyrics, “For I can’t help falling in love with you….”, Nikki admitted later in the post, “This song is our love story.”
She continued, “I’ll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem. Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast.”
“And then this song came on. And that’s when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be. 🙏🏼✨,” shared the former WWE diva.
She ended the post by writing, “Happy Anniversary @theartemc I love you! ❤️🔥.”
Her husband too commented on the post while writing, “Love you ♥️.”
On his own Instagram, Artem also celebrated their anniversary by sharing two photos from their wedding day, and writing, “Happy anniversary my love.” He continued, “[C]an’t see my life with out you[.] You are my everything ❤️.”
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On her turn, the ‘Total Divas star wrote in the comment section, “Happy Anniversary Click 🥹❤️🔥💋 Love you so much!”
Why was 'DWTS' pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev arrested?
While Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on a domestic violence charge, it is not known whether Nikki Bella was involved in the altercation as the alleged victim has asked for complete confidentiality, per Napa County Sheriff’s spokesperson Henry Woffard who told The Post.
The dancer, who met Nikki on the sets of ‘DWTS’ when Nikki was a contestant in 2017, was released on the same day after posting a bail money of $25,000.
It has been reported that Artem and Nikki share a home in the Napa Valley area of California with their four-year-old son Matteo, born in July 2020.
Artem Chigvintsev was accused of ‘kicking and shoving’ fellow contestant
The domestic violence allegations against Artem Chigvintsev came nine years after he was accused of “kicking and shoving” one of his former dance partners, per Page Six.
In 2015, television presenter Fern Britton recalled the time when she was partnered with Artem during her participation on BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2012.
Speaking to The Time, Britton claimed, “[Artem] would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me.”
She further recalled the 42-year-old dancer saying to her, “‘You just stand there and don’t move; I dance round you.'”
She alleged that Nikki’s husband would threaten her, per HuffPost UK.
“He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you,'” Britton recalled before adding, “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.’ I thought, ‘Well, I won’t correct him on that one.'”
Britton noted that while she and Artem “did love each other for a moment or two,” he was not “charm personified".
Artem, however, denied the claims. He told Daily Express, “I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am.”
“I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me,” added the choreographer.
