Former Strictly Come Dancing star Artem Chigvintsev will not face charges following his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence in California, US authorities have confirmed. The professional dancer, who won the BBC competition in 2010 with celebrity partner Kara Tointon, was taken into Napa County Jail last month. The reasons for Chigvintsev’s arrest were not initially clear, but he posted bail of $25,000 (£19,000) at the time. Napa County District Attorney (DA) Allison Haley stated that after a thorough review and evaluation of evidence, her office decided not to pursue criminal charges against the TV personality.
Ms Haley explained, “While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by evidence.” She emphasised that charges must be proven ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’, the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. The DA’s office, which usually does not issue press releases for declined charges, made an exception due to the extensive media interest since Chigvintsev’s arrest.
Chigvintsev, a Russian dancer, joined Strictly in 2010 and found success with various celebrity partners. Notably, he partnered with ex-EastEnders actress Tointon, leading to a real-life romance. His subsequent pairings in the competition included actresses Holly Valance and Fern Britton, and Coronation Street star Natalie Gumede. Chigvintsev moved on to Dancing With The Stars in the US, where he met his future wife and WWE star, Nikki Bella. They have a child together, born in 2020. The couple, engaged in Paris just weeks before discovering the pregnancy, married in 2022.
Representatives for Chigvintsev have not yet commented on the situation. Stories like this can be found in My Bookmarks or by navigating to the user icon in the top right corner for more updates.