Nikki Garcia Says She's 'Almost' Ready to Date Again After Divorce from Artem Chigvintsev — but Only Wants 'Love, Not Marriage'

Mar. 15, 2025

Nikki Garcia attends the Los Angeles premiere of “Queen Of The Ring” at AMC The Grove 14 on March 06, 2025.Photo:Michael Tullberg/Getty

Michael Tullberg/Getty

Nikki Garciais almost ready to open her heart up again.The retired WWE star, 41,settled her divorcefromArtem Chigvintsevin November, three months afterhe was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence charges. Now, seven months later, she’s open to the idea of dating.During an appearance with her twin sisterBrieatKristin Cavallari’s New York City stop on herLet’s Be Honestpodcast live tour on March 13, Cavallari asked Nikki if she’s “still open to love,” and she replied that she’s open to “love and not marriage.““Really? You’re never gonna get married again?” Cavallari asked.“Well I think maybe, but I don’t wanna sign paperwork again,” Nikki admitted.Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev attend “Twin Love” - Cocktails And Bites With Hosts Nikki & Brie Garcia at Soho House on November 16, 2023.Anna Webber/GettyCavallari, who was married toJay Cutlerfor seven years anddivorced him in 2020,then said that getting married is “so easy to do and so hard to get out of,” to which Nikki totally agreed.“I mean, so hard. At night, [I] think about it though. This is crazy, like, it was supposed to be an act of love and now I’m in prison,” Nikki said of how her marriage felt.Still, she clarified, “I’m definitely open to love for sure.“As for whether she’s started putting herself out there yet, she said “no” but that she thinks she’s “almost ready” to start dating again.Nikki Garcia at the Netflix’s LA Premiere of WWE Monday Night RAW at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025.Chad Salvador/Variety via GettyIn the aftermath of Chigvintsev’s August arrest andNikki filing for divorcedays later, she remained off social media and silent about the split for several months. In December, she returned to her podcast,The Nikki & Brie Show, and offered a candid look into the “tough” few months she’d endured.“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 admitted thather relationship with the formerDWTSpro hadn’t “been great for a long time"but she “really played it up [that] things were a lot better than what they were in the public eye,” which she admitted to having “regrets” about.Never 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.“I didn’t wanna have another failed public relationship,” she continued, before touching on how her4-year-old son Matteo, who she shared with her ex, played a role in how she handled things too. “And more than any of that, take it away, like, I wanted it for Matteo. You know, it’s it always comes back to him. You fight for your kids. We should have probably walked away a long time ago. So in the end, what happened wouldn’t have happened.”

Nikki Garciais almost ready to open her heart up again.

The retired WWE star, 41,settled her divorcefromArtem Chigvintsevin November, three months afterhe was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence charges. Now, seven months later, she’s open to the idea of dating.

During an appearance with her twin sisterBrieatKristin Cavallari’s New York City stop on herLet’s Be Honestpodcast live tour on March 13, Cavallari asked Nikki if she’s “still open to love,” and she replied that she’s open to “love and not marriage.”

“Really? You’re never gonna get married again?” Cavallari asked.

“Well I think maybe, but I don’t wanna sign paperwork again,” Nikki admitted.

Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev attend “Twin Love” - Cocktails And Bites With Hosts Nikki & Brie Garcia at Soho House on November 16, 2023.Anna Webber/Getty

Anna Webber/Getty

Cavallari, who was married toJay Cutlerfor seven years anddivorced him in 2020,then said that getting married is “so easy to do and so hard to get out of,” to which Nikki totally agreed.

“I mean, so hard. At night, [I] think about it though. This is crazy, like, it was supposed to be an act of love and now I’m in prison,” Nikki said of how her marriage felt.

Still, she clarified, “I’m definitely open to love for sure.”

As for whether she’s started putting herself out there yet, she said “no” but that she thinks she’s “almost ready” to start dating again.

Nikki Garcia at the Netflix’s LA Premiere of WWE Monday Night RAW at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025.Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty

Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty

In the aftermath of Chigvintsev’s August arrest andNikki filing for divorcedays later, she remained off social media and silent about the split for several months. In December, she returned to her podcast,The Nikki & Brie Show, and offered a candid look into the “tough” few months she’d endured.

“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 admitted thather relationship with the formerDWTSpro hadn’t “been great for a long time"but she “really played it up [that] things were a lot better than what they were in the public eye,” which she admitted to having “regrets” about.

Never 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.

“I didn’t wanna have another failed public relationship,” she continued, before touching on how her4-year-old son Matteo, who she shared with her ex, played a role in how she handled things too. “And more than any of that, take it away, like, I wanted it for Matteo. You know, it’s it always comes back to him. You fight for your kids. We should have probably walked away a long time ago. So in the end, what happened wouldn’t have happened.”

source: people.com