Former Strictly star will not face domestic violence charges after arrest

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev will not face domestic violence charges following his arrest.

Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in August, but it has now been announced by authorities that he will not be facing charges.

The professional dancer, 42, posted $25,000 (£19,000) bail at the time, and it was unclear exactly what the incident was that led to his arrest.

Allison Haley, the Napa County District Attorney (DA), said that after a ‘thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence,’ her office declined to file criminal charges.

Haley added: ‘While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence.’

We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system.

‘If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.’

A statement added: ‘The Napa County District Attorney’s Office does not typically issue press releases when it declines to file charges against any given individual; however, did so for this case due to the intense media interest it has received since Mr Chigvintsev’s arrest.’

The professional dancer joined Strictly in 2010 and was partnered with Eastenders actress Kara Tointon. The pair won the competition and following the competition the pair were in a relationship for several years.

The dancer was then partnered with Holly Valance in 2011, Fern Britton in 2012, and Coronation Street’s Natalie Gumede in 2013 – with whom he secured the runner-up spot.

In 2017, the dancer moved to the US show Dancing With The Stars, and was partnered with his wife, – WWE star Nikki Bella.

The couple announced their engagement two years later and went on to tie the knot in August 2022 – they celebrated their second wedding anniversary with loved-up posts on social media.

The couple had a son in 2020 and starred in the E! reality show Total Bellas.

Nikki Bella and Chigvintsev previously said they found out they were expecting just two-and-a-half weeks after getting engaged in Paris, and they married in 2022.

Variety reported the confirmation that Chigvintsev will not be a part of the season 33 cast of Dancing With The Stars.

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