‘Dancing With the Stars’ Dancer Artem Chigvintsev Arrested on Domestic Violence Charge

Artem Chigvintsev visits the SiriusXM studio in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 19, 2023. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Artem Chigvintsev, a Russian professional dancer known for his performances on “Dancing With the Stars,” was arrested in Northern California’s Napa Valley on the morning of Aug. 29 on suspicion of domestic violence.

According to the Napa County Sheriff’s Department’s online records, Chigvintsev, 42, was arrested at approximately 10 a.m. in Yountville, California—located about 60 miles north of downtown San Francisco—and booked into a Napa County jail 40 minutes later.

Chigvintsev was charged with allegedly violating California penal code 273.5(a), which applies to “any person who willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a victim,” including a current or former spouse, a current or former cohabitant, fiancé or fiancée, or co-parent.

According to the report, Chigvintsev, who competed on 12 seasons of ABC’s hit dancing competition show, was released later that day at 2:18 p.m. after posting a $25,000 bail.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Department did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the dancer’s arrest or provide any information regarding the purported victim. The Epoch Times reached out to a representative for Chigvintsev for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

Chigvintsev lives in Napa Valley with his wife, Nikki Garcia, a former WWE star who wrestled under the moniker Nikki Bella. Chigvintsev was paired up with Garcia on season 25 of “Dancing with the Stars,” which premiered in September 2017. The couple publicly confirmed their relationship in March 2019, welcoming a son, Matteo, in July of the following year.

“7/31/2020 ... Our baby boy is here and we couldn’t be HAPPIER and more in LOVE! Everyone is safe and healthy,” Garcia wrote on Instagram two days after her son’s birth.

The couple went on to tie the knot in August 2022. The ceremony was televised in a four-part special titled “Nikki Bella Says I Do,” which aired in January 2023.

On Aug. 26, just three days before Chigvintsev’s arrest, the couple took to Instagram to mark their second year of marriage. Garcia shared a video montage from their wedding day, paired with singer-songwriter Haley Reinhart’s cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

“This song is our love story,” Garcia captioned alongside the reel.

“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. Happy Anniversary @theartemc I love you!”

In turn, Chigvintsev posted pictures from the couple’s wedding day, writing: “Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life with out you. You are my everything.”

The Russian-born professional dancer moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and appeared in the first season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” according to his online biography.

In addition to performing on Broadway and in the West End—a district in London known for its many theaters—Chigvintsev has also competed on several seasons of “Strictly Come Dancing.”

Chigvintsev left the BBC dance show in 2013 to pursue his naturalization in the United States, becoming an American citizen in September of the following year.