Dancing with the Stars alum and husband Artem Chigvintsev has recently been exonerated from the domestic violence charges he was facing after his arrest in August. The Napa County District Attorney office has made an official statement announcing that they have decided not to file criminal charges against Chigvintsev.
Chigvintsev was arrested earlier this year on August 29 in Napa Valley, California, and faced charges of domestic abuse against his partner Nikki Garcia.
He was released on a bail of $25,000 on the same day. Soon after the arrest, the Bella twin filed for divorce in September 2024.
Charges dropped against Artem Chigvintsev due to lack of sufficient evidence, says Napa County DA
Allison Haley, a Napa County District Attorney, made the statement that announced that no criminal charges will be filed against Artem Chigvintsev. She said that the decision was taken after "thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence."
"While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence," Ms Haley said in a statement. We are required to prove any and every criminal charge 'beyond a reasonable doubt' which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn't rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges," stated Haley.
The Napa County DA office further noted that the case will be revisited when they will acquire sufficient evidence or facts. Haley stated that the office “may revisit the case if it learns of other incidents or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known.”
Entertainment Tonight recently spoke to a source close to Garcia who revealed that she was “scared and rattled” following the arrest. As for Chigvintsev, the source further said that he “feels unprepared to deal with everything coming his way.” Both Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia have yet to directly comment on the matter.
Also Read:
Nikki Bella seeked divorce from Artem Chigvintsev upon the encouragement of sister Brie Bella