Artem Chigvintsev will not face criminal charges after he was arrested for suspected domestic violence, which led to his wife Nikki Bella filing for divorce.
The news came in a statement released by the Napa County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday.
“Napa County District Attorney Alison Healey announced today that her office has
“File criminal charges against Artem Chigvintsev, 42, in connection with his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence,” the statement said. “The decision not to file charges against Mr. Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the D.A.'s Office.”
“While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have a moral obligation to only file charges based on the evidence,” it said.
“We are required to prove every criminal charge 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence does not rise to this standard, we cannot ethically file charges.”
The former “Dancing With the Stars” pro was arrested on Aug. 29, just days after he and Bella, 40, celebrated their second wedding anniversary. The two gushed about each other in Instagram posts on Aug. 26. “It was all meant to be,” Bella captioned a reel shared glimpses of their wedding to be held in Paris in 2022. In her post, Chigvintsev wrote“I can’t see my life without you(.) You are everything to me ❤️.”
However, behind closed doors, the pair's relationship had reportedly been volatile for years.
Chigvintsev was arrested after he called 911, telling the dispatcher that his wife threw a shoe at him. “Initially it came in as a request for medical, but now the RP (reporting party) is saying he had a fight with his wife and his wife threw a shoe at the RP,” the 911 operator said in the audio. TMZ,
Following the call, Napa County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene and took Chigvintsev into custody after determining he had sustained injuries. He was released later that day on a $25,000 bond.
Less than two weeks after the arrest, Bella filed for divorce from Chigvintsev, citing irreconcilable differences. She wants full custody of their four-year-old son, Matteo.
Chigvintsev requested joint custody and spousal support in response to Bella's petition.
The dancer and the “Total Divas” star met when Bella competed on “DWTS” in 2017. The former WWE star was dating fellow wrestler John Cena at the time. They broke up in July 2018.
The Post has contacted Bella and Chigvintsev for comment.
