Artem Chigvintsev is seeking joint custody of his young son with estranged wife Nikki Bella,in the wake of the “Dancing with the Stars” pro’s recent domestic violence arrest.
The Russian dancer, 42, on Friday filed for joint legal and physical custody of Matteo, 4, according to court documents obtained Monday by People. Chigvintsev is also seeking spousal support and wants the retired WWE star, 40, to foot his legal bills.
Bella, real surname Garcia, filed for divorce last Wednesday, at which point she requested the court not award spousal support to either of the estranged spouses. She also filed for sole physical and legal custody of Matteo, affording visitation to the “Strictly Come Dancing” alum.
On Thursday, Aug. 29, Chigvintsev was arrested for felony corporal injury of a spouse, and was released later that day on $25,000 bail. The couple had celebrated their second wedding anniversary earlier that week.
In early September, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office said it’s currently reviewing the case to determine whether to formally charge Chigvintsev.
He twice called 911, once to request medical attention after “an argument with his wife,” at which point the dispatcher said Chigvintsev claimed she “threw shoes at [reporting party],” per TMZ at the time.
Chigvintsev called another time to rescind the request, though authorities responded to the scene anyway. Once there, they observed obvious injuries on Garcia and arrested Chigvintsev.
Garcia reportedly started looking for a divorce lawyer the following day, and and was seen multiple times over Labor Day weekend without her wedding ring, including when she hosted Netflix’s hot dog-eating competition.
