Nikki Garcia has been in the public eye more recently due to her marriage with Artem Chigvintsev. They share one son together.
In August, Chigvintsev was booked into Napa County Jail on a felony domestic violence charge which involved him inflicting corporal injury on a spouse. Since then, the former couple have filed for divorce and restraining orders are filed.
During this time, Nikki has stepped away from everything including taking time off her podcast that she shares with her sister Brie. She recently returned to the podcast and opened up about the situation. She thanked everyone for giving her that time away. During her time away, she scrubbed her Instagram, removing all posts.
“I needed to disconnect because, first things first, I’m a mom and my son’s protection and privacy is the most important. I was going to do whatever it took for that, most importantly. Then, needing space for healing and facing trauma. It’s been tough. It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken and sad,” she said.
She continued, “I know, being a public figure, I have to say a little bit about this. After this, I don’t want to ever talk about it again because I truly do want privacy for Matteo. That has been the most important part.”
About her relationship with Artem, Nikki says they haven’t been great for a while.
“When it came to our relationship, it’s sad, but things haven’t been great for a long time. I really played it up that things were a lot better than what they were, in the public eye, which I have regrets in that because I felt, if I could put this person on a pedestal and maybe if this person hears it enough, what I believe in them, they can believe that in themselves,” she said.
Brie asked her sister why she felt she had to do that, “We were so public and I felt I wasn’t being heard at home, so maybe he would hear me out loud in the public eye.”
“In the end, we weren’t bringing the best out in each other. We probably should have walked away a long time ago so in the end what happened, would not have happened,” she stated.
The details of the incident which TMZ reported included a claim by Nikki that Artem, “had his hands on her chest near her sternum, pressing down — she says she felt like she was suffocating — and she says she grabbed at his neck in an attempt to get him off.”
Ilona Antonyan, the lawyer for Artem, has denied Nikki’s allegations and insists that Artem was not the primary aggressor.
Nikki stressed throughout the podcast that her son, Matteo, is her first priority.
For fans of Nikki, you can watch her on the upcoming U.S. season 3 of The Traitors. It will air on Peacock January 9.
