Nikki Garcia is sharing her emotional journey following her divorce from WWE star Artem Chigvintsev.
Speaking on the Dec. 2 episode of the Nikki & Brie podcast, Nikki, 41, revealed that the past few months have been incredibly tough for her, especially after Artem’s arrest in September on suspicion of felony domestic violence, a case in which no charges were filed.
The couple finalized their divorce recently, and Nikki reflected on the challenges she faced during this period.
“I disconnected from social media, from the world,” Nikki explained. “First things first, I’m a mom, and my son’s protection and privacy is the most important.
I needed space for healing, for facing trauma head-on. It’s been tough. It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken, sad.”
The former Total Bellas star also opened up about how different the end of her marriage was from what she had envisioned.
“You dream of having this family, and you have this incredible love, and it just goes the other way,” Nikki said, noting how heartbreaking it was to go from having a great love story to experiencing a difficult breakup. “Never saw any of it coming,” she added.
Throughout the emotional turmoil, Nikki made sure that her primary focus was on her son, Matteo, 4, whom she shares with Artem. “
I’ve been so shocked, like beyond words,” she admitted. “You lose your appetite, you cry a lot. And then I also stepped up and made sure everything was okay for Matteo.”
Despite the public fallout from their breakup, Nikki emphasized the importance of focusing on her own healing and her son’s wellbeing.
“When you know the truth, nothing else matters,” she shared, explaining how she coped with outside opinions.
“It would affect me in some way, but because I know the truth, it didn’t have a big effect on me.”
Two weeks after finalizing their divorce, Nikki and Artem agreed to drop the domestic violence restraining orders they had filed against each other in an effort to co-parent their son.
Artem, for his part, expressed gratitude for the charges being dropped and reiterated his commitment to Matteo’s wellbeing.
“I am incredibly relieved and grateful that the domestic violence charges against me have been dropped,” Artem, 42, said in a statement.
“This has been an extremely difficult time for me. I’m thankful that the truth has prevailed.”
He added, “He [Matteo] is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life. All along, my main concern has been for him.”
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