Artem Chigvintsev, a well-known dancer from Dancing With the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing, is facing criticism from past celebrity dance partners following recent allegations. The controversy began when Chigvintsev reportedly removed Nikki “Nikki Bella” Garcia’s name from his Instagram bio amidst domestic violence charges. Chigvintsev, who married Garcia in 2022 and shares a son, Matteo, with her, allegedly called the police to request an ambulance for himself during an incident at their home. Reports indicate that he later canceled the request, but authorities still visited the residence, ultimately deciding that Chigvintsev needed to be arrested. He subsequently posted a $25,000 bail.
Following this, other celebrities who previously partnered with Chigvintsev have shared their less-than-favorable experiences working with him. Lea Thompson and Fern Britton both described his intense demeanor and alleged mistreatment during their respective partnerships.
Rumors have also emerged that Garcia might consult divorce attorneys following the incident. A few days after the event, Garcia traveled to Las Vegas to host Unfinished Beef with Rob Riggle for Labor Day, where she received cheers of support from the audience. Fans noticed Chigvintsev had initially updated his bio to reflect only his career accolades— “Father to Matteo, DWTS Pro Dancer, Emmy Nominated Choreographer, DWTS Mirror Ball Winner, SCD Mirror Ball Winner”—but soon after added Garcia’s tag back with a bride emoji and a black heart. However, Garcia has not reciprocated by tagging him in her bio. Despite these public signals of marital strain, Chigvintsev’s departure from Dancing With the Stars was announced before these allegations.
Lea Thompson Opens Up About Chigvintsev’s Temper
During a September episode of Cheryl Burke’s podcast, Sex, Lies and Spray Tans, actress Lea Thompson discussed her challenging experience with Chigvintsev during Dancing With the Stars in 2014. As Chigvintsev’s first season on the American show, he took the competition seriously, which Thompson found stressful as she was hoping to enjoy the experience. “It was a big deal to him, and he was so intense,” Thompson explained. “I didn’t realize how important it was to him, and it made me crazy after a while.”
Thompson also shared that as a ballet dancer, she struggled with ballroom terminology. When she asked Chigvintsev to use terms she understood, he would refuse and sometimes yell at her. She recounted one instance where he got upset over her “crazy” counting method. “I remember once he was really mad at me because I was counting crazy,” she shared, recalling how he responded in frustration. Thompson laughed with Burke about how much pressure the professional dancers often place on celebrities. “It’s funny watching DWTS because no one realizes how much you guys yell at us!” she joked.
Fern Britton Alleges Mistreatment on Strictly Come Dancing
Fern Britton, a former Strictly Come Dancing partner of Chigvintsev, echoed Thompson’s concerns, sharing her own negative experience with him on the UK show. In a 2015 interview with The Huffington Post UK, Britton alleged that Chigvintsev would kick and shove her during rehearsals, saying, “We would be in a hold, and he would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me.” She added that he would sometimes make extreme statements like, “I’m going to kill you,” and heavily criticized her dancing. Britton said the tension grew to the point where she would jokingly ask him to end her misery. “I’d say, ‘Oh, please just kill me, it would be easier,’” she recalled.
As these accounts from Thompson and Britton resurface, Chigvintsev‘s reputation faces new scrutiny. Total Bellas, the show featuring Garcia and her sister Brie Garcia, has not yet addressed the controversy, leaving fans wondering how much of this family drama will make its way to television screens.