Artem Chigvintsev is getting candid about coparenting — and what the future holds — with ex-wife Nikki Garcia.
“[Coparenting] is definitely doable,” Chigvintsev, 42, said on the Tuesday, February 25, episode of the “Glamorous Grind” podcast. “Obviously, both parties put the best foot forward [to] accommodate the kid. [At] the end of the day, what’s best for Matteo is best for me, right?”
News broke in August 2024 that Chigvintsev was arrested following an alleged incident with Garcia, 41. Us Weekly confirmed the next month that the domestic violence charges against Chigvintsev were dropped by the Napa County District Attorney after an investigation.
One week after his arrest, Chigvintsev and Garcia filed for divorce. While she requested full custody over their 4-year-old son, Matteo, Chigvintsev sought joint custody. Chigvintsev and Garcia both filed restraining orders against each other, which were dropped when they reached a divorce settlement in November 2024.
Artem Chigvintsev Wants to Reconcile With Nikki Garcia: Source
“It’s tough sometimes because you have to negotiate certain things, you have to be willing to sacrifice certain things, but at the same time, if you take your own ego out of it, you really have to think of what is best for him, not necessarily what you think would be best for him,” Chigvintsev explained. “I think that’s the fine line, because we all base decision[s] like — right now speaking of myself personally — base decision like what do I think is best for him, by purely thinking like how I would want it, right? But you have to kind of, like, take yourself out of that and think [of] what actually he needs.”
When asked whether he and Garcia could be friends, Chigvintsev replied, “I mean never, say never. But there’s definitely needed to be certain conversation and certain things, acknowledgement of certain things. Yeah, I believe everybody can end up being friends.”
As for what needs to be discussed, Chigvintsev thinks the pair need to hash out their differences — and hear each other.
“When I say hearing each other is not just say, like, ‘Oh, I heard you.’ Truly hearing and trying to understand why that is that, and actually try to feel like, ‘Oh, that’s OK.’ I think the hard part because we live in such a different culture, everybody grown up different, everybody raised different, everybody have different values and I think that separates us in a lot of ways. And we forgot to kind of, I don’t know, understand each other.”
Artem Chigvintsev Details How Domestic Violence Arrest ‘Ruined’ His Life
While Chigvintsev did not return for Dancing With the Stars season 33, the pro dancer said he “would love” to be back for another season.
Now, as Chigvintsev moves forward, said he just wants to be “happy.” As for his current state of mind, Chigvintsev said, “I’m happy that I have my son, I’m happy that my mom is here, I’m happy that I’d be able to see that relationship, able to see that relationship. I’m happy that I’m still OK, I’m happy about that. But am I happy overall and like looking forward? Like no, because it’s just a whole bunch of unknown and unknown is not make you happy.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
