'DWTS' Pro Artem Chigvintsev Seeks Protective Order Against Nikki Bella, Reveals Photos Of Bloody Injuries From Alleged Brawl

Artem Chigvintsev was granted a restraining order against his estranged wife, Nikki Bella (aka Nikki Garcia), on the same day he was granted a protective order against her, the Post can reveal.

The non-compete orders stemmed from a dispute between the then-couple in August that led to Chigvintsev's arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro was ultimately not charged.

In a statement to the Post on behalf of Chigvintsev, his lawyer, Ilona Antonian, Chigvintsev denied Bella's allegations that he confronted her and insisted “she was not the primary aggressor.”

“It's crucial to consider the motivations of both parties in these situations,” Antonian says.

“Mr. Chigvintsev contacted law enforcement on 8/29/24 seeking protection from his wife's continued aggression. As she spoke to police on the phone, Ms Garcia-Colles made a pointed statement, 'Do you understand where this is going now, Artem? You just ruined my career, and you know it.'

Antonian continued, “On that day, someone would be arrested, and if Miss García Coles had told the truth, it would not have been Mr. Chigvinsev.

“[Chigvintsev] Never denied confronting him. She was shocked to learn that he had made this accusation against her two weeks after the incident; It was then that he understood why he had been arrested.

“As a result of the wife's self-serving statements, Mr. Chigvintsev's career has suffered, many opportunities have been canceled because of these false allegations,” said the lawyer for the dance. Men can also be victims of domestic violence; The case of Mr Chigvintsev illustrates this reality. He was not the primary aggressor.”

In her complaint, obtained by The Post, Chigvintsev, 42, agreed with Bella's claim in her petition that their feud began over their 4-year-old son Matteo and his fight over breakfast, though each told a different version of how it happened. Conflicts arise. In his petition, Chigvintsev said Bella criticized him for not preparing their child's breakfast and packed lunch on the morning of August 29 and complained that their son's muffins were not toasted enough.

According to Chigvintsev, Bella was “stressed out by her job” as the host of Netflix's live competitive eating special, “Unfinished Beef.”

“He keeps saying that he does everything, and I don't help, which is absolutely false,” Chigvintsev continued, claiming that his wife kept scolding him as he walked their son to the door to go to school.

The fight then allegedly escalated during a discussion about their son's shoes. “[Bella] Totally lost it and started screaming 'Get the f–– out of my house, I'm sick of everything, I've had enough,'” Chigvintsev said in his request for a restraining order.

This was “followed [her] Forcefully threw both of Matteo's sneakers at me,” he continued, adding, “He hit me in the chest” but “fortunately the shoe didn't hit Matteo even though he was right next to me.”

“[M]Your first reaction was obviously to protect Matteo because he was standing next to me,” he recalled.

Matteo was “very confused and look[ed] Afraid” while Bella “carried on[d] screaming about asking for a divorce,” according to Chigvintsev.

At this point, the “DWTS” vet complained that she “had to protect” their son and was “sacrificing.” [Bella] Please stop it and calm down.

“I took Matteo in my arms, and tried to calm the situation and take him to his room,” she continued. But he says this only had the effect of escalating the conflict.

Once inside their son's room, Chigvintsev alleged that the former WWE Diva “tried to force herself to open the door.

“I couldn't hold it, because he is quite strong. Matteo started as soon as the door opened[ed] Crying,” he complained. “I didn't want her to see her mother in her bedroom angry and confrontational. I wanted to protect Matteo from his lack of self-control at the moment.”

Chigvintsev added, “I squeezed myself through the opening of the door and tried to push myself out, when the petitioner continued to physically attack me and push me in his way.

“I tried to move him away from me and away from the door frame so Matteo wouldn't witness another confrontation. I can't stress enough how many times I begged him to stop and calm down.”

“There was a mutual fight and both ended up on the ground,” Chigvintsev admitted in his filing at this point.

Eventually, he alleges, he was able to find his phone and call 911, waiting outside for law enforcement to show up. He said he was shocked when he was arrested and claimed his wife lied to the sheriffs.

“I didn't know what he told the police, but to my surprise I was arrested,” Chigvintsev said in his filing. “I wasn't the primary aggressor, he certainly was.

“Since the 8/29/24 incident, I found out on 9/13/24 that he lied to the police that I confronted him twice, which is a complete lie.”

Chigvintsev also contradicted Bella's claim that “she was holding our son and I grabbed Matteo from him and barricaded myself in the room.”

“This is a complete lie,” he said. “But it's mase [sic] I need to understand why I was arrested instead of him.

In his request for a restraining order, the dancer also provided photos that allegedly show the bruises he sustained as a result of his fight with Bella.

The counterclaims made in Chigvintsev's restraining order request directly contradict the claims Beler made in his protective order request filed Monday.

“[Artem] Tackled me multiple times and pinned me to the ground while our child was present,” the “Total Divas” star alleged in court documents seen by TMZ.

According to Bella, Chigvintsev “became increasingly angry, snapping and yelling at me” after learning that he was not being asked back for season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars.” As she puts it, the dance pro was furious because of how she toasted their son's English muffins, accusing the 4-year-old of being a “picky eater.”

Bella admits to throwing her son's shoe at the dancer, hitting him on the leg. She alleges that he then grabbed their child and ran upstairs, the child yelling, “Mom! Mom!”

The reality star claims her husband threw her to the ground, pushed her down a hall and forced her onto their bathroom floor before allegedly starting to press her chest near her sternum. Bella said as she then grabbed Chigvintsev by the neck and pulled him off her.

According to the court order granting Chigvintsev's request for a restraining order, for now the pair will share joint custody of their son and “have reasonable daily FaceTime contact between the child and the non-custodial parent.”

A judge also ordered that “neither parent make negative statements about the other or question the child about the other parent in the presence of the child's hearing.”

Both sides are seeking a permanent restraining order against the other and will return to court on October 21 for a hearing to consider the requests.

Bella filed for divorce from her husband of two years on September 11 and sought sole legal and physical custody of their son. Chigvintsev responded to the former wrestling star's petition for joint custody and spousal support.

The pair celebrated their wedding anniversary just three days before their physical altercation.

If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.