Nikki Garcia opens up about life after divorce from Artem Chigvintsev

Former WWE star Nikki Garcia has spoken out for the first time since her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev, shedding light on co-parenting their four-year-old son, Matteo, and navigating life post-split.

Garcia filed for divorce from Chigvintsev in September 2024, following an alleged altercation that led to his arrest for domestic violence.

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, she shared how she has been managing the transition while prioritizing their son’s well-being.

In regards to this, Garcia explained, "I've used words like divorce, but only when he’s asked. Everything’s kind of been about us just having our own homes. On Christmas, we made sure we were both there when we baked Santa’s cookies. Matteo went to bed, and we were both there when he woke up. Because he’s our focus, we want to keep those moments."

According to Daily Mail, adjusting to shared custody has been challenging for Garcia as she admitted, "What’s crazy about co-parenting is you get a schedule. One day, it’s like, ‘OK, here are the days you get your son,’ and that’s just what you do. That part is incredibly tough for me.”

Despite the upheaval, Garcia says Matteo is handling the changes well while she noted, "Matteo’s OK and not affected. So that makes it easier. He’s happy to go to both homes.”

Looking ahead, Garcia is open to love but hesitant about marriage as she stated, "I don’t ever want to sign paperwork again. If I find the right person, I don’t mind [a commitment ceremony], but I don’t want to be legally [bound]." 

Furthermore, Garcia took a break from the public eye following the highly publicized split, citing the need for time to process the events.

In this regard, she shared, "Everything was very shocking. You couldn’t have ever told me that this would’ve been the ending of my 2024 or my marriage—I wouldn’t have believed you.”

Meanwhile, Chigvintsev was arrested for felony domestic violence in August 2024, but prosecutors declined to file charges.

As per the publication, both Garcia and Chigvintsev had initially sought restraining orders against each other, which were later dismissed. Their divorce was finalized last year.