Artem Chigvintsev is soaking up time with his and ex-wife Nikki Garcia’s 4-year-old son, Matteo.
In a video posted via Instagram on Sunday, May 25, Chigvintsev, 42, shared clips of the twosome exploring a balloon exhibit. In one clip, the father-son duo could be seen lounging in a ball pit, while in another Matteo gave a smile for the camera as he played with several balloons.
“Balloons are he’s [sic] favorite ❤️,” Chigvintsev captioned the post.
The outing came just days after Garcia, 41, weighed in on the details of her divorce settlement with the pro dancer.
“Everyone’s had opinions about Artem and I’s divorce settlement. It’s everywhere,” Garcia shared during the Thursday, May 22, episode of “The Nikki & Brie Show” podcast, clarifying that the pair’s divorce had “nothing to do” with the August 2024 “incident” between the exes.
Garcia continued, “Divorce has to deal with the paper, the contract you signed during marriage. The day of marriage, at the court before marriage, whatever. So, our settlement is what everyone saw. Yes, I had to give him $200,000. Spousal support, alimony.”
In August 2024, Chigvintsev was booked on a felony domestic violence charge after an alleged physical altercation between him and Garcia. The charges have since been dropped. Following the arrest, both Garcia and Chigvintsev filed for divorce and filed restraining orders against each other. Garcia’s rep confirmed to Us Weekly in November 2024 that the pair settled their divorce and both restraining orders were dropped.
“Our judge — we did private mediation — said at the end of it, ‘This is the first time in all the years I’ve done this, where a woman had to pay a man.’ The judge said, ‘You should be so damn proud that you built such an empire that someone wants a piece of it,’” Nikki recalled, explaining that she made a promise to the judge to make a future partner sign a prenup before marriage.
She continued, “It was nice to hear that … even though it hurts because I broke my neck for that money. That money, all that is my hard-earned money.”
While reflecting on the settlement, Garcia noted that she and Chigvintsev “are in a great place” at the moment.
“We are coparenting so amazing, and it makes Matteo’s life so amazing, and I don’t want it any other way,” she said. “When all of this came up, it sucks because things in Matteo’s world right now [are] so great because Artem and I are so on the same page, and I want that.”
Garcia added that paying spousal support “doesn’t bother” her because Matteo is her No. 1 priority.
“Child support is so the child could have an equal life in both homes. That’s where it comes from, and so it is hard,” Garcia said. “I don’t even think twice about it because I’m like, that is making sure Matteo is also 50/50, half of his other time is a good life.”
