Nikki Garcia has spoken out about co-parenting with ex-husband Artem Chigvintsev and adjusting to life after their highly publicized split.
The 41-year-old WWE alum filed for divorce in September 2024, following an alleged altercation that resulted in Artem’s arrest for domestic violence. The former couple, who share a four-year-old son, Matteo, have since been working through the challenges of co-parenting.
In her first interview since the split, Garcia told Us Weekly how she’s coping in the aftermath of their breakup, shedding light on her healing process and her focus on providing stability for Matteo. While she didn’t shy away from addressing the difficulties, she emphasized her commitment to ensuring their son’s well-being remains the top priority.
Garcia explained that she has been mindful of how she discusses the split with Matteo, only using words like “divorce” when he asks about it.
“Everything’s kind of been about us just having our own homes,” she said. “You get to go see Mommy and you get to go see Daddy.”
Despite their separation, Garcia and Chigvintsev made sure to maintain a sense of normalcy for Matteo during the holidays. “On Christmas, we made sure we were both there when we baked Santa’s cookies. Matteo went to bed, and we both were there when he woke up. Because he’s our focus, we want to keep those moments.”
Now co-parenting with shared custody, Garcia admitted that time away from her son has been difficult, but she remains committed to ensuring he feels loved and supported.
Garcia admitted that co-parenting has been an adjustment, particularly having designated days with Matteo.
“It’s wild that one day it’s like, ‘OK, here are the days you get your son,’ and that’s just what you do,” she shared.
She described the difficulty of being in their home without him, saying, “Getting through those days is extremely difficult because I just love being around my son so much.”
Fortunately, Matteo has adjusted well. “Matteo’s OK and not affected. So that makes it easy. He’s happy to go to both homes,” she noted.
Now officially single after finalizing her divorce, Garcia is open to love again but isn’t in a rush. “I can see myself falling in love again, but not anytime soon.”
She also made it clear that she has no desire to marry again. “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].”
Garcia also confirmed she has no plans to have more children. “I definitely do not want more kids. I am fine,” she stated.
Following Chigvintsev’s arrest, she took several months off from the podcast she co-hosts with her sister, Brie Garcia.
The decision to step away from the public eye was necessary as she processed the situation. “Everything was very shocking, all of it,” she admitted. “I knew I had to disconnect. I was in shock. 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.”
She emphasized how much time it took to come to terms with everything. “It takes a long time to process something. I needed that disconnection to process everything that happened.”
Garcia also acknowledged that her family had differing opinions about her relationship with Chigvintsev.
When asked if the split surprised those close to her, she said: “Brie’s been very vocal. She felt like this relationship should have ended long before it did. She always thought we were just two different people trying to make it work. But my mom was a huge supporter of [me and Artem]. She was actually flying in the day of the incident to spend the whole weekend with us.”
Despite the challenges of the past year, Garcia said 2025 has been “amazing” as she embraces a new chapter in her life.
“I feel like I have this whole new era to look at, and I get to choose how I want to be and [where to] take it,” she shared.#newsafro_
