“I did not know that your coronary heart can break that many occasions in such a brief time period,” Nikki mentioned of her cut up
Nikki Garcia is opening up about her cut up from Artem Chigvintsev for the primary time.
The retired WWE star, 41, returned to her podcast, The Nikki & Brie Show, on Monday, Dec. 2 after greater than three months away following her ex-husband’s Aug. 28 arrest on suspicion of corporal harm to partner. Her return comes days after she and Chigvintsev settled their divorce on Nov. 21 in personal mediation.
Nikki started the episode with a preface that she would “strive my greatest to not get too emotional” as she gave an replace on the previous couple of months of her life.
Related: Brie Garcia Has Felt ‘Sadness’ That ‘Could Compare’ to ‘Death’ amid Sister Nikki’s Split from Artem Chigvintsev
“I disconnected from social media, from the world, and I simply knew that I wanted to disconnect as a result of first issues first, I’m a mother and my son’s safety and privateness is a very powerful. So I used to be gonna do no matter it took for that the majority importantly, after which simply needing area for therapeutic, for going through trauma head on, all of that,” she mentioned, referring to her 4-year-old son Matteo, whom she shares with Chigvintsev.
“It’s been actually robust. I’ve been heartbroken. Sad. You know, you dream of getting this household and you’ve got this unimaginable love and it simply goes the opposite approach. And you go from having a terrific love story to having a horrible one. And I by no means noticed any of it coming, you realize, so far as, like, what the ending could be.”
She mentioned that her son has remained her precedence amidst the top of the connection and the authorized battle that ensued, as she shared, “I attempted to deal with this complete scenario though I used to be in a lot ache. I used to be simply attempting to do what was greatest for everybody.”
“I do wish to proceed to guard Mateo in these methods as a result of that is what’s been the toughest half about all this, and that is been so heartbreaking. I did not know that your coronary heart can break that many occasions in such a brief time period.”
Related: Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev’s Relationship Timeline
Nikki additionally make clear the character of her relationship with the previous DWTS professional, who she married in 2022, as she admitted, “When it got here to our relationship, it is unhappy. Like, it simply hasn’t been nice for a very long time. And I actually performed it up [that] issues had been so much higher than what they had been within the public eye, which I’ve regrets in that as a result of what I felt was, like, if I can simply put this individual on a pedestal and perhaps if this individual hears it sufficient, what I imagine in them, they’ll imagine that in themselves.”
“I did not wanna have one other failed public relationship,” she continued. “And greater than any of that, take it away, like, I needed it for Matteo. You know, it is it all the time comes again to him. You combat to your youngsters. We ought to have in all probability walked away a very long time in the past. So in the long run, what occurred would not have occurred.”
The Total Bellas alum additionally admitted that it has been a “battle” coping with the cut up within the public eye as individuals had been being “fed lies” about her.
“But as a result of I do know the reality and I truly lived it, it had it did not have a giant impact on me as a result of individuals weren’t there that day. People do not know what I’ve gone by means of to what I’m going by means of, and also you’re all the time going to have individuals simply assume issues and say issues, after which, you realize, once they get fed lies, you are gonna have individuals additionally imagine issues. All I must do is concentrate on my therapeutic. I must concentrate on Matteo’s therapeutic.”
Related: Brie Garcia Says Sister Nikki Is ‘Going Through It’ amid Artem Chigvintsev Divorce however Will Return to Their Podcast ‘Soon’
Following his Aug. 28 arrest, Chigvintsev didn’t face felony fees, and each he and Nikki have alleged that the opposite individual was the aggressor within the incident that led to the arrest.
They had been each granted protecting orders towards one another following the arrest, each of which had been dropped once they settled their divorce final month.
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Nikki beforehand requested for “privateness for her and her household” in an announcement to PEOPLE and after submitting for divorce, she continued to “ask for privateness for her and her household.” Meanwhile, Chigvintsev additionally shared an announcement with PEOPLE following the divorce submitting and after it was introduced he isn’t going through felony fees for the arrest, explaining how he was “extremely relieved and grateful that the home violence fees towards me have been dropped” and mentioned he is “grateful that the reality has prevailed.”