Artem Chigvintsev is fighting back against serious allegations from his estranged wife, Nikki Garcia, as their divorce intensifies.
The Dancing with the Stars alum denies claims of domestic violence, which Nikki detailed in a restraining order she obtained earlier this week.
In new legal documents obtained by TMZ On Thursday, Artem accused Nikki of fabricating the domestic violence allegations that led to his arrest in late August.
He portrays Nikki as the “aggressor” in their troubled relationship and claims her anger issues played a major role in the collapse of their two-year marriage.
In the restraining order, Nikki claims that Artem “became increasingly angry” after being cut from Dancing with the Stars, which led to hostility and ultimately violence.
Artem Chigvintsev fights back against serious allegations from his estranged wife, Nikki Garcia, as their divorce intensifies; seen in 2019
In new legal documents obtained Thursday by TMZ, Artem accuses Nikki of fabricating the domestic violence allegations that led to his arrest in late August.
Artem submitted photos of injuries to his hand, elbow and head, claiming that Nikki caused them and that these incidents led to his arrest.
The professional dancer claims the altercation that led to his arrest began on August 29 at their Napa home.
While he was preparing breakfast for their 4-year-old son, Nikki, stressed about a Netflix event, became angry and criticized him for not toasting the bread properly.
Artem claims the argument escalated when Nikki criticized him for packing both a quesadilla and chicken tenders into Matteo’s lunch.
He says she later yelled at him in the living room for not putting Matteo’s shoes on correctly.
Artem says defending herself angered Nikki even more, causing her to throw sneakers at him and hit him in the chest.
As she shouted about divorce, Matteo stood scared. Artem claims he brought Matteo upstairs to protect him.
Artem claims Nikki followed him and Matteo to the bedroom, attempting to force the door open while holding it closed, with a crying Matteo next to him.
He claims he managed to force his way through a hole in the door to protect Matteo, but Nikki then stormed in and physically confronted him, leading to a struggle on the floor.
Artem claims he managed to escape and called 911 to inform the dispatcher of the situation
