Nikki Garcia is moving ahead with her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev — reconciliation is not an option for her. Still, there is reportedly one thing bugging her about her estranged husband’s response to her divorce filing, and it involves money.
It’s still unclear whether the former couple had a prenuptial agreement, per TMZ, but the Dancing With the Stars pro is seeking spousal support — and that aspect of his response is apparently upsetting Garcia. “Nikki is absolutely furious that Artem is asking for spousal support,” an insider told “She’s still in shock and has been asking herself, ‘Who the hell did I marry?’” Her reaction in the wake of his domestic violence arrest for financial support has left her “dumbfounded by Artem’s audacity and lack of shame.”
Us Weekly reported on Sept. 13 that Chigvintsev sought joint legal and physical custody of their four-year-old son, Matteo, along with spousal support and funds to pay his attorney fees. Garcia “plans on fighting back” against his wishes and “hopes a judge, if it actually comes to that, sees right through his disgusting and exploitative cash grab,” per the Life & Style source. Garcia is understandably going through the trauma after their alleged domestic violence incident which resulted in his arrest on Aug. 29. Chigvintsev will be arraigned on Nov. 4.
The dancer was not asked to be a part of the 33rd season of Dancing With the Stars, so his arrest did not impact casting. His current job status outside of the show is unknown, but his attorney Ilona Antonyan told People that her client’s response to Garcia’s divorce filing was “a standard practice.” She noted, “The divorce response preserves Mr. Chigvintsev’s financial rights to support and fees. Failure to check these boxes in the responsive pleadings waives the right to seek such remedies. There is no motion pending for spousal support or fees, also known as the Request for Order.”
Garcia is leaning on the support of her twin sister, Brie Garcia, who reportedly encouraged her to move forward and not try to reconcile with Chigvintsev. “Brie, who is obviously the closest to Nikki, as anyone would, is telling her to leave Artem, if this is as bad as it seems, and if it happened before, once she finds out everything that happened, she will be the first to tell Nikki to leave him,” a Daily Mail source said. There will be quite a few details to work out, including his criminal charge, but Garcia is ready to put the past behind her.
Before you go, click here to see the longest celebrity divorces that took years to get finalized.
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