Exclusive: Artem Chigvintsev Cleared as Not Primary Aggressor in Domestic Violence Incident | Domestic

Artem Chigvintsev is talking out for the primary time after his arrest on suspicion of home violence.

In a prolonged assertion to PEOPLE on Wednesday, Sept. 25, Chigvintsev revealed how he is been doing after it was introduced he wouldn't be going through prison expenses for his arrest on suspicion of home violence on Aug. 29.

The former Dancing with the Stars professional mentioned he's now specializing in his son Matteo, whom he shares with estranged spouse Nikki Garcia, as he makes an attempt to maneuver ahead from the incident.

“I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped,” the assertion started. “This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I am thankful that the truth has prevailed. My focus has always been and will always be, our son Matteo. He is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life. All along, my main concern has been for him. I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support, and care he needs as we move forward.”

“I am hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on,” he continued. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, and legal team for standing by me during this challenging time. Your support has been invaluable, and I am thankful to everyone who believed in me and saw the truth for what it was. I look forward to moving past this chapter and focusing on what truly matters—continue being the best father I can be.”

Chigvintsev's lawyer, Ilona Antonyan, additionally offered an unique assertion to PEOPLE concerning the continued divorce between her consumer and Garcia.

“We can now focus on negotiating a shared 50/50 custody schedule. Fortunately, Artem has been able to spend time with Matteo almost every day since 8/29/2024 incident,” she shared, earlier than sharing alleged particulars of the morning of his arrest. “He is a very dedicated, interactive, nurturing, and loving parent. My understanding of the investigated facts surrounding the 8/29/24 incident have led me to conclude from the beginning that Artem was not the primary aggressor. I believe that to be true even if the burden of proof would be the preponderance of evidence, which is the standard of proof in family court. He was protecting himself and Matteo.”

She added: “Fortunately, he has a strong support group of loving family and friends. I am confident he will move forward from this situation with strength and dignity. Artem is fully committed to fostering a positive co-parenting relationship with his ex. Divorce is never easy, but once custody is settled, the remaining issues tend to be less emotionally charged and easier to resolve.”

A rep for Garcia didn't instantly reply to PEOPLE's request for remark.

On Aug. 29, Chigvintsev was arrested in Napa Valley, Calif. on a cost of corporal harm to a partner. He was booked in the Napa County Jail and given a $25,000 bail earlier than being launched in lower than an hour, in accordance with paperwork obtained by PEOPLE.

While Garcia wasn't named in the paperwork, she was named in the 911 name concerning the incident, reported by TMZ. According to the dispatcher heard on the outlet's audio, Garcia allegedly threw sneakers at Chigvintsev in the course of the argument.

At the time, a rep for Garcia instructed PEOPLE, “This is a private matter and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”

Two weeks after his arrest, Garcia, 40, filed for divorce after almost two years of marriage on Sept. 11. In her divorce petition reviewed by PEOPLE, the WWE alum requested authorized and bodily custody of their son and solely youngster Matteo. The paperwork requested that Chigvintsev be allowed youngster visitation rights.

The tv persona cited “irreconcilable differences” as grounds for divorce from the skilled dancer. Garcia additionally requested the courtroom terminate spousal help for each events. In response to her submitting, Chigvintsev said he was in search of joint authorized and bodily custody of their son, as effectively as spousal help and lawyer's charges and prices.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley introduced that her workplace got here to the choice to say no to file prison expenses in opposition to Chigvintsev after his arrest in August.

According to the press release, Haley said that the choice was made after a “thorough review of the criminal investigation” and proof introduced in the case.

“While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence,” she wrote. “We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.”

Though the DA's workplace won't be pursuing prison expenses in opposition to Chigvintsev, Haley wrote that they could revisit the case in the event that they be taught of different incidents, info or proof that has not been beforehand recognized.

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Garcia and Chigvintsev met in 2017 after they have been paired together on season 25 of Dancing with the Stars, though the retired WWE wrestler was engaged to John Cena on the time. In July 2018, Garcia and Cena formally ended their relationship after six years collectively.

The DWTS pair reconnected later that yr and made their relationship Instagram official in March 2019. Since then, Garcia and Chigvintsev have celebrated a number of milestones collectively: They received engaged in November 2019, welcomed a son in July 2020 and mentioned, “I do” in August 2022.

If you might be experiencing home violence, name the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is offered 24/7 in greater than 170 languages.