Nikki Garcia believes she was seen as the “villain” in her split from Artem Chigvintsev.
Nikki Garcia felt she was seen as a villain
The WWE star – who is also known as Nikki Bella – split from the Dancing With the Stars professional last August after two years of marriage following a row which saw police called to their home, and she hit out at the double standards of how men and women are portrayed by the media.
In a preview from her appearance on Kristin Cavallari‘s Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour obtained by E! News, she said: “I think they make me, like, more of a villain than I am.”
Her twin sister, Brie Garcia, agreed: “Oh, for sure. Especially out of your divorce.”
Kristin – whose own marriage to Jay Cutler ended in 2022 – added: “Of course, you’re a woman.”
Both Nikki and Brie believe their images as wrestlers make people think they are tougher than they are.
Nikki said: “I feel like when you’re badass women and you kick ass in a ring, people just assume you’re not empathetic.
“It’s like we could go kick so much a**and, yeah, I’ll pick a guy out in the crowd. I’ll body slam you right now. I can do it… “I’ll pay for your hospital bill.”
Brie agreed: “Because we’re pro wrestlers and all these things, we can come off so hard and tough.”
Nikki added: “I think that’s the biggest misconception.”
And Nikki – who has four-year-old Matteo with Artem – claimed her WWE persona was also used against her during her legal battle with the former Dancing with the Stars professional.
She said: “People bring up like, ‘Well I don’t know, 2017, your character in the ring…. I’m like, ‘That’s not real. I was playing a villain.’ I was playing a character and they all think I’m that person. I mean, I heard it in court through the divorce. Because I was a strong woman, a pro wrestler.”
Kristin fumed: “You should not be able to use anything in entertainment. That’s bulls***.”
The 38-year-old star admitted her own public confessions had also coloured people’s image of her.
She added: “Or, with me, they always want to make it about sex. Like, I said a lot more than just that. It drives me insane.”
Following Nikki and Artem’s row, the 42-year-old dancer was arrested amid allegations of domestic violence, but was not charged and he recently admitted the incident “ruined” his life.
He told the Glamourous Grind podcast: “It completely ruined everything for me. From every angle, it ruined my life completely.
“The worst part of all of this was because the [district attorney] dropped the case, clearly stating there was nothing they could possibly have charged me on.
“”When people see that mugshot. For them, in their mind, you are immediately guilty.
“There is nothing you can say or try to justify yourself to change their minds.”
Artem noted there was no hesitation on his part when it came to ending the marriage.
He explained: “I wanted it to be over. I needed to go back to live my life and I need to move on — emotionally, financially — and I just wanted my life to be normal again.”
The couple shared differing accounts on what had happened during the row that led to Artem’s arrest and later sought restraining orders against one another, though they have now been dismissed.
