Nikki Garcia Prays 'Every Day' That She'll Be 'Great Friends' with Artem Chigvintsev Again

Mar. 15, 2025

Nikki Garcia; Artem Chigvintsev.Photo:Adela Loconte/Shutterstock; David Livingston/Getty

Adela Loconte/Shutterstock; David Livingston/Getty

Nikki Garciais hopeful that she and her ex-husbandArtem Chigvintsevwill settle their differences for the sake of their son one day.The former WWE star, 41, returned to her and her sister’s joint podcast,The Nikki & Brie Show, on Dec. 2 after three months away followingChigvintsev’s Aug. 28 arrest. As she opened up about their breakup for the first time, she admitted that she hopes to one day be friends with her ex.Calling the split “so heartbreaking,” Garcia — whofiled for divorce on Sept. 11— said she’s been in “so much pain” over the last few months dealing with the fallout.“It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken, sad. You know, you dream of having this family and you have this incredible love and it just goes the other way. And you go from having a great love story to having a terrible one. And I never saw any of it coming, you know, as far as like what the ending would be.“She’s started looking toward the future now, though, as she offered an update on how co-parenting is going with Chigvintsev, 42, with whomshe shares a 4-year-old son, Matteo.Nikki Bella, Artem Chigvintsev, and their son Matteo.Nikki Bella/Instagram"As far as moving forward, you know, I never thought I would be in this place as a co-parent. It’s tough. I miss Matteo. Oh my goodness. Those first few times in my house, just think, I’ve never been in the home without him. Really, really hard. Very emotional.““But we’re doing a great job at it,” she said of her and her ex. “We both are very focused on Matteo, and that’s the great thing. And I do think in time, I pray — I pray every day — we’ll be great friends. We’ll be able to share holidays together.““I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon, but I pray for it because, again, that’s what Matteo deserves.“The former couplesettled their divorceon Nov. 21 in private mediation, and in a statement, a rep for Garcia told PEOPLE that “both parties decided to dropthe domestic violence restraining orders against each otherin an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son.““Nikki’s number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter,” the statement continued. “She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received during this difficult time.”Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev attend Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports 2019 at Barker Hangar on July 11, 2019 in Santa Monica, California.Gregg DeGuire/WireImageNever 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.Since Chigvintsev’s Aug. 28 arrest — for whichhe did not face criminal charges— Garcia has kept a very low profile and rarely spoken publicly about the split.In an initial statement, her rep told PEOPLE thatshe “asks for privacy for her and her family,” and after she filed for divorce,her rep echoed the same sentiment.

Nikki Garciais hopeful that she and her ex-husbandArtem Chigvintsevwill settle their differences for the sake of their son one day.

The former WWE star, 41, returned to her and her sister’s joint podcast,The Nikki & Brie Show, on Dec. 2 after three months away followingChigvintsev’s Aug. 28 arrest. As she opened up about their breakup for the first time, she admitted that she hopes to one day be friends with her ex.

Calling the split “so heartbreaking,” Garcia — whofiled for divorce on Sept. 11— said she’s been in “so much pain” over the last few months dealing with the fallout.

“It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken, sad. You know, you dream of having this family and you have this incredible love and it just goes the other way. And you go from having a great love story to having a terrible one. And I never saw any of it coming, you know, as far as like what the ending would be.”

She’s started looking toward the future now, though, as she offered an update on how co-parenting is going with Chigvintsev, 42, with whomshe shares a 4-year-old son, Matteo.

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

Nikki Bella/Instagram

“As far as moving forward, you know, I never thought I would be in this place as a co-parent. It’s tough. I miss Matteo. Oh my goodness. Those first few times in my house, just think, I’ve never been in the home without him. Really, really hard. Very emotional.”

“But we’re doing a great job at it,” she said of her and her ex. “We both are very focused on Matteo, and that’s the great thing. And I do think in time, I pray — I pray every day — we’ll be great friends. We’ll be able to share holidays together.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon, but I pray for it because, again, that’s what Matteo deserves.”

The former couplesettled their divorceon Nov. 21 in private mediation, and in a statement, a rep for Garcia told PEOPLE that “both parties decided to dropthe domestic violence restraining orders against each otherin an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son.”

“Nikki’s number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter,” the statement continued. “She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received during this difficult time.”

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev attend Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports 2019 at Barker Hangar on July 11, 2019 in Santa Monica, California.Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

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Since Chigvintsev’s Aug. 28 arrest — for whichhe did not face criminal charges— Garcia has kept a very low profile and rarely spoken publicly about the split.

In an initial statement, her rep told PEOPLE thatshe “asks for privacy for her and her family,” and after she filed for divorce,her rep echoed the same sentiment.

source: people.com