Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev Were Legally Married 5 Months After Paris Wedding, According to Divorce Filing

Mar. 15, 2025

(L) Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia.Photo:MediaPunch/ShutterstockNikki GarciaandArtem Chigvintsevdidn’t make their marriage official until five months after their wedding.In Garcia’sdivorce petitionsubmitted on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the former WWE star, 40, listed the estranged couple’s date of marriage as January 19, 2023 despite having their Paris wedding in August 2022.The filing comes nearly two weeks after Chigvintsev, 42, was arrested on a charge ofcorporal injury to a spousein Napa Valley, California and hours after a source told PEOPLE thatGarcia had obtained a divorce lawyer.In 2017, the duo met when they werepaired togetheron season 25 ofDancing with the Stars, although the retired WWE wrestler was engaged toJohn Cenaat the time. In July 2018, Garcia and Cena officiallyended their relationshipafter six years together.Artem Chigvintsev, Nikki Garcia and their son Matteo.Nikki Bella/InstagramTheDWTSpairreconnectedlater that year and made theirrelationship Instagram officialin March 2019. Since then, Garcia and Chigvintsev have celebrated several milestones together: They gotengagedin November 2019,welcomed sonMatteo in July 2020 and said, “I do” in August 2022.Garcia and Chigvintsev faced a few hurdles on the road to the altar.In June 2021, nearly two years after the couple announced their engagement, Garcia announced the couple’s decision hit pause on wedding planning as they work on remodeling their new home.“We haven’t even lived in it yet and we’re doing the outside and that takes so much work,” she toldEntertainment Tonightat the time. “We’re still not even done designing. And so he and I both were just like, ‘Let’s get through the house. If it happens, it happens.'“Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev announce their engagement.Artem Chigvintsev/InstagramFive months later in November, Garcia shared that the couple would be pushing their wedding backdue to COVID-19 travel restrictionsdespite their original plans for a wedding in fall 2021.A few months later, she told PEOPLE thatthey postponed the wedding again. On Jan. 20, Chigvintsev announced he was diagnosed with pneumonia and was stepping away from hisThe DWTS: Live! Tour"due to unexpected health issues.“At the Fanatics Super Bowl Party in February 2022, Garcia told PEOPLE that the couple were looking at Paris for their nuptials. “We feel like it’s the easiest to get his parents there,” she said. “We’re figuring out dates, so we’ll see, but we’re thinking that Paris would be the perfect place.“She also said she would “love” to have the wedding within the next few months but added, “there’s just a lot of complications right now.“Then, in a March 2022 episode ofThe Bellas Podcast,Garcia said that she wasre-evaluating her wedding planswith Chigvintsev, whohad recovered from his month-long battle with pneumonia.She said, “the main reason we’ve hesitated” had to do with money. “Like, financially, we have so much more going on in our lives to think, for Artem and I, for the past two years, of putting our money into a wedding — it’s probably the main reason we’ve hesitated,” Garcia shared.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.She explained her decision furtherin an interview with PEOPLEin April of that year, saying, “Life is really stressful. We’re barely home together at the same time. There’s a lot more, I don’t want to say important things in life, but a lot more [to focus on],” she said, adding, “Like, we want Matteo to go to private school, so to spend what private schools cost on florals at our wedding, I’m like, I think I’ll go with education.“Nearly three years after getting engaged, a source told PEOPLE that Garcia and Chigvintsev wed in Paris in August 2022. The pair announced the news onInstagramwith two wedding photos: a close-up of the couple’s rings and another image of the newlyweds looking at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

(L) Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia.Photo:MediaPunch/Shutterstock

MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Nikki GarciaandArtem Chigvintsevdidn’t make their marriage official until five months after their wedding.In Garcia’sdivorce petitionsubmitted on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the former WWE star, 40, listed the estranged couple’s date of marriage as January 19, 2023 despite having their Paris wedding in August 2022.The filing comes nearly two weeks after Chigvintsev, 42, was arrested on a charge ofcorporal injury to a spousein Napa Valley, California and hours after a source told PEOPLE thatGarcia had obtained a divorce lawyer.In 2017, the duo met when they werepaired togetheron season 25 ofDancing with the Stars, although the retired WWE wrestler was engaged toJohn Cenaat the time. In July 2018, Garcia and Cena officiallyended their relationshipafter six years together.Artem Chigvintsev, Nikki Garcia and their son Matteo.Nikki Bella/InstagramTheDWTSpairreconnectedlater that year and made theirrelationship Instagram officialin March 2019. Since then, Garcia and Chigvintsev have celebrated several milestones together: They gotengagedin November 2019,welcomed sonMatteo in July 2020 and said, “I do” in August 2022.Garcia and Chigvintsev faced a few hurdles on the road to the altar.In June 2021, nearly two years after the couple announced their engagement, Garcia announced the couple’s decision hit pause on wedding planning as they work on remodeling their new home.“We haven’t even lived in it yet and we’re doing the outside and that takes so much work,” she toldEntertainment Tonightat the time. “We’re still not even done designing. And so he and I both were just like, ‘Let’s get through the house. If it happens, it happens.'“Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev announce their engagement.Artem Chigvintsev/InstagramFive months later in November, Garcia shared that the couple would be pushing their wedding backdue to COVID-19 travel restrictionsdespite their original plans for a wedding in fall 2021.A few months later, she told PEOPLE thatthey postponed the wedding again. On Jan. 20, Chigvintsev announced he was diagnosed with pneumonia and was stepping away from hisThe DWTS: Live! Tour"due to unexpected health issues.“At the Fanatics Super Bowl Party in February 2022, Garcia told PEOPLE that the couple were looking at Paris for their nuptials. “We feel like it’s the easiest to get his parents there,” she said. “We’re figuring out dates, so we’ll see, but we’re thinking that Paris would be the perfect place.“She also said she would “love” to have the wedding within the next few months but added, “there’s just a lot of complications right now.“Then, in a March 2022 episode ofThe Bellas Podcast,Garcia said that she wasre-evaluating her wedding planswith Chigvintsev, whohad recovered from his month-long battle with pneumonia.She said, “the main reason we’ve hesitated” had to do with money. “Like, financially, we have so much more going on in our lives to think, for Artem and I, for the past two years, of putting our money into a wedding — it’s probably the main reason we’ve hesitated,” Garcia shared.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.She explained her decision furtherin an interview with PEOPLEin April of that year, saying, “Life is really stressful. We’re barely home together at the same time. There’s a lot more, I don’t want to say important things in life, but a lot more [to focus on],” she said, adding, “Like, we want Matteo to go to private school, so to spend what private schools cost on florals at our wedding, I’m like, I think I’ll go with education.“Nearly three years after getting engaged, a source told PEOPLE that Garcia and Chigvintsev wed in Paris in August 2022. The pair announced the news onInstagramwith two wedding photos: a close-up of the couple’s rings and another image of the newlyweds looking at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

Nikki GarciaandArtem Chigvintsevdidn’t make their marriage official until five months after their wedding.

In Garcia’sdivorce petitionsubmitted on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the former WWE star, 40, listed the estranged couple’s date of marriage as January 19, 2023 despite having their Paris wedding in August 2022.

The filing comes nearly two weeks after Chigvintsev, 42, was arrested on a charge ofcorporal injury to a spousein Napa Valley, California and hours after a source told PEOPLE thatGarcia had obtained a divorce lawyer.

In 2017, the duo met when they werepaired togetheron season 25 ofDancing with the Stars, although the retired WWE wrestler was engaged toJohn Cenaat the time. In July 2018, Garcia and Cena officiallyended their relationshipafter six years together.

Artem Chigvintsev, Nikki Garcia and their son Matteo.Nikki Bella/Instagram

Nikki Bella/Instagram

TheDWTSpairreconnectedlater that year and made theirrelationship Instagram officialin March 2019. Since then, Garcia and Chigvintsev have celebrated several milestones together: They gotengagedin November 2019,welcomed sonMatteo in July 2020 and said, “I do” in August 2022.

Garcia and Chigvintsev faced a few hurdles on the road to the altar.

In June 2021, nearly two years after the couple announced their engagement, Garcia announced the couple’s decision hit pause on wedding planning as they work on remodeling their new home.

“We haven’t even lived in it yet and we’re doing the outside and that takes so much work,” she toldEntertainment Tonightat the time. “We’re still not even done designing. And so he and I both were just like, ‘Let’s get through the house. If it happens, it happens.'”

Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev announce their engagement.Artem Chigvintsev/Instagram

Five months later in November, Garcia shared that the couple would be pushing their wedding backdue to COVID-19 travel restrictionsdespite their original plans for a wedding in fall 2021.

A few months later, she told PEOPLE thatthey postponed the wedding again. On Jan. 20, Chigvintsev announced he was diagnosed with pneumonia and was stepping away from hisThe DWTS: Live! Tour"due to unexpected health issues.”

At the Fanatics Super Bowl Party in February 2022, Garcia told PEOPLE that the couple were looking at Paris for their nuptials. “We feel like it’s the easiest to get his parents there,” she said. “We’re figuring out dates, so we’ll see, but we’re thinking that Paris would be the perfect place.”

She also said she would “love” to have the wedding within the next few months but added, “there’s just a lot of complications right now.”

Then, in a March 2022 episode ofThe Bellas Podcast,Garcia said that she wasre-evaluating her wedding planswith Chigvintsev, whohad recovered from his month-long battle with pneumonia.

She said, “the main reason we’ve hesitated” had to do with money. “Like, financially, we have so much more going on in our lives to think, for Artem and I, for the past two years, of putting our money into a wedding — it’s probably the main reason we’ve hesitated,” Garcia shared.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She explained her decision furtherin an interview with PEOPLEin April of that year, saying, “Life is really stressful. We’re barely home together at the same time. There’s a lot more, I don’t want to say important things in life, but a lot more [to focus on],” she said, adding, “Like, we want Matteo to go to private school, so to spend what private schools cost on florals at our wedding, I’m like, I think I’ll go with education.”

Nearly three years after getting engaged, a source told PEOPLE that Garcia and Chigvintsev wed in Paris in August 2022. The pair announced the news onInstagramwith two wedding photos: a close-up of the couple’s rings and another image of the newlyweds looking at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

source: people.com