Who Is Artem Chigvintsev? New Details On Nikki Bella's Fiancé
They are partners on and off the dance floor.
Instagram After ending her engagement to John Cena in April 2018 after six years together, everyone wondered if she'd ever find her true love. Fortunately, Bella moved on and began dating someone she already knew while she and Cena were together!
Who is Artem Chigvintsev? Originally her dance partner on Dancing with the Stars, Chigvintsev and Bella were eliminated in the 7th week. Cena even became close to Chigvintsev, discussing how he wanted Bella's partner to choreograph their first wedding dance. At the time, he said, "As far as dancing I think he's probably gonna teach me my first dance. So hopefully, I'll be able to take those tips from him there."
But after her split from Cena, the two apparently rekindled their connection and began dating shortly after. How cute is that?
When the couple eventually went public about their relationship in March 2019, it seemed the pro wrestler, 36, and the ballroom dancer, 37, were a match made in heaven. And now, they are ready to make their love last forever, after becoming engaged back in November.
Here are all the details we know about Artem Chigvintsev, Nikki Bella, and their gorgeous engagement photos.
1. Who is Artem Chigvintsev? He's from Russia.
His name probably gave away the fact that Artem Chigvintsey is Russian. He was born in 1982 in Izhevsk, Russia. He moved to the U.S. in 2003 and began dancing with champion ballroom dancer Giselle Peacock.
The two fell in love and got married in 2004, but divorced in 2005. Chigvintsey auditioned for the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, but was eliminated. He returned as a guest choreographer during the second season, and later appeared on four seasons of Strictly Come Dancing.
2. He later went on to appear in Dancing with the Stars.
Chigvintsey joined Dancing With the Stars for the 18th season as a member of the Dance Troupe. Later that year, he was promoted to professional dancer for the 19th season and paired with actress Lea Thompson. They finished in sixth place.
He has also danced with Patti LaBelle, Mischa Barton, Maureen McCormick, Nancy Kerrigan, Nikki Bella, Jamie Anderson and Danielle Umstead. His best finishes were with Lea Thompson and Nancy Kerrigan.
3. Chigvintsey and Bella knew each other while she was engaged to Cena.
Nikki supported Artem during his season on Dancing With the Stars: Junior. While on a national tour in January 2019 with Dancing With the Stars: Live, the two were spotted out and about at Studio City, California's farmer's market just a few weekends before while Chigvintsey was on a break from the tour.
4. They initially kept things casual.
According to sources close to Nikki, at the time, she enjoyed hanging out with him and having fun, and wasn't looking for anything more. The two remained close after their stint on DWTS, and when their schedules matched up, they enjoyed spending time together.
At the time their relationship was just beginning, it was clear that both had busy schedules, which is probably why they wanted to take things slow. It was her first public relationship since her split from Cena, so no wonder they wanted to keep things on the down-low.
5. And eventually made their relationship public.
In March 2019, Bella shared an Instagram post of the two with Bella kissing Chigvintsey. She captioned it, "Well after that season finale First thing I’ll be talking about this Wednesday... oh and all those paparazzi photos (thanks for all the great shots and smashing my food lol)," also mentioning her podcast, The Bellas Podcast.
6. Chigvintsey and Bella became engaged in November 2019.
While the two became engaged in France back in November 2019, it wasn't until each made an individual post on their respective Instagrams that the world knew! Chigvintsey wrote on his post, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me . So excited for what’s to come I love you more than anything and thank you for saying Yes," while Bella said, "Excited for 2020 and the next decade with you @theartemc I said yes in France in November! We have been trying to keep it a secret but really wanted to share our excitement for the New Year!"
7. Cena is apparently happy for his ex-fiancé.
While many celebrity exes are hostile toward their exes, that's not the case with Cena and Bella. In fact, after Bella and Chigvintsey went public with their relationship, Cena was happy about it. Even though the exes weren't in contact for quite some time, she also didn't really care what Cena thought about her new love.
After Chigvintsey and Bella became engaged, a source revealed:
“John is very happy for Nikki and her engagement. He is very happy that she has found someone that treats her so amazingly well. Nikki was an extremely important part of John’s life so it does remind him of what they had and he is also reminded of his proposal to her at Wrestlemania a few years ago, but he also has thought that they have both grown from their relationship and they both have moved on.
[Nikki and Artem’s] engagement just makes it all very official and real and that the past is now the past. He knew it was going to happen at some point, so instead of taking it in any weird way he is only hoping for the best for he,r and he only wants to send good vibes her way and hopes she gets everything she deserves with her life with Artem. He knows she deserves all the good fortune and love she is receiving, so he is happy.”
Cena has also moved on and has been dating product manager Shay Shariatzadeh, after meeting while shooting Play With Fire.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.