The Dancing with the Stars alum and former WWE wrestler have finally agreed on a settlement. Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev’s divorce was made official in November, but it took months for the former pair to reach an agreement about money.
What happened between Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev?
After her breakup with John Cena, fans were hopeful that Nikki would find love again. It didn’t take long for Artem to literally sweep her off her feet as they danced around a TV ballroom. Even with their own spinoff, which showed them planning their European wedding, something seemed amiss. In 2024, reports surfaced of the professional dancer being placed in cuffs by men in uniform. On August 29, Artem was arrested in Napa Valley on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse. The charges were dropped by the D.A.’s office on September 24. During the 911 calls, the couple could be arguing, and Nikki was heard allegedly throwing shoes at the dancer.
Two weeks later, on September 11, Nikki filed for divorce. The duo had only been married for two years. The WWE Hall of Famer requested legal and physical custody of their son and only child, Matteo. The legal documents requested that Artem be allowed child visitation rights. In her divorce petition, Nikki cited “irreconcilable differences.” Nikki also requested that the court terminate spousal support for both parties. In response to her filing, the Dancing with the Stars pro stated he was seeking joint legal and physical custody of their son. He was also seeking spousal support and attorney’s fees and costs.
Nikki Bella is expected to pay up
It turns out the price of freedom comes at an extremely high cost. Wrestling fans learned that Nikki will be paying Artem $3,500 a month in child support, as well as a $200,000 lump sum that will be divided into two equal payments. The first $100,000 is due now, and the second $100,000 is due by the end of the year. According to TMZ , the television personality is financing the cost of Matteo’s health insurance, which includes his speech therapy. Nikki will also be in charge of their son’s preschool education for the 2024-2025 school year. Artem is expected to help split the cost of Matteo’s extracurricular activities.
Both Nikki and Artem will jointly select the elementary school for the 2025 school year. The 41-year-old and 42-year-old will split major holidays and trade off each year when it comes to their son. As far as their worldly possessions, Artem and Nikki will retain their assets. Nikki is keeping the Napa Valley home and all of the trusts in her name, including her businesses, Stephanie Nicole Garcia Entertainment, and Bonita Bonita by Nikki and Brie. And the dancer is keeping their Los Angeles home and all of the trusts in his name, including Art-Ronin Enterprise and Southeast Storage Group.
Nikki Bella speaks out
Nikki didn’t waste time addressing the settlement. Fans had expressed their theories, but she explained the payouts were just California law. She started by saying, “I hope you all read this bc you all don’t understand the law. Child Support is based on income per year. So whoever makes more, and depending on how much they make a year they pay monthly.” Nikki also clarified that she and Artem share 50/50 custody of Matteo. She added, “CA State Law. And the 200k is bc he didn’t sign a pre-nup. So that’s alimony. Has nothing to do with anything else except divorce. You’ll need to educate yourself and stop assuming off of click hate headlines.” From day one, Bella has fought against the misinformation surrounding her divorce.
Some fans have been sharing their opinion too much. Nikki’s response came after one follower insinuated that Artem might have gotten joint custody due to abuse issues. As stated at the beginning of the article, Nikki was accused of not being the aggressor during their fight and of throwing shoes at Artem. The brunette beauty is now moving on with her life. Fans were thrilled to see her make a surprise match at the Royal Rumble 2025. And while they hoped to see her at Wrestle Mania 41, she was a no-show. But this does mean Nikki has come out of retirement and is looking for her next big thing in order to support her family.
Dancing with the Stars streams on Disney+.
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