Nikki Garcia is reportedly ready to end her two-year marriage to Artem Chigvintsev.
Days after Nikki, 40, was spotted without her wedding ring following the domestic violence arrest of her husband Artem, 42, a professional dancer featured on Dancing With The Stars, she is said to be searching for a divorce attorney.
TMZ confirmed the news on September 3, stating that Nikki began calling around on Friday and intends to divorce Artem.
As fans will recall, Artem was arrested last Thursday and charged with felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant after calling 911 and accusing Nikki of hitting him with shoes.
While Artem suggested he was in need of medical assistance and later called off his request, police still arrived on the scene that day and reportedly witnessed a visible physical injury or injuries on Nikki.
Since then, Nikki has not been wearing her wedding ring. In fact, in addition to being spotted boarding a plane without it, she was also sans ring as she hosted the Chestnut/Kobayashi hot dog eating contest over the weekend in Las Vegas.
As Nikki reportedly prepares to file for divorce, Artem is staying with a friend after vacating their family home, where Nikki currently resides with their four-year-old son, Matteo.
Nikki and Artem met in 2017 when they competed together on DWTS season 25, and they began dating years later. Then, in 2022, two years after welcoming Matteo, they tied the knot.
Following Artem’s arrest last week, Fern Britton, who he worked alongside on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, suggested that he would “kick” and “shove” her during their time together.
Although Nikki has not yet commented on Artem’s arrest or her plans for their marriage, she did tell Kaitlyn Bristowe, 39, in 2021 that she nearly quit DWTS due to the way Artem spoke to her, and she shared that his tone was an issue they had addressed in therapy.