Nikki Garcia is clapping back at the notion that she rarely sees her son after her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.
Nikki, 41, took to her Instagram Story on Sunday, July 20, to share a screenshot of a comment in which a troll asked whether Matteo, 4, “ever” sees his mom. The pro wrestler responded, “Wonder if you write that to Dad’s [sic]? And yes he was with me 🙂 All week. Just bc I don’t post him all the time doesn’t mean he isn’t with me. I try to keep as much as I can private for his sake. Thank you.”
But Nikki didn’t stop there. In addition to posting her exchange with the troll, she offered a general PSA to her followers about how much time she spends with her son. Plus, she shared some insight into her coparenting relationship with Chigvintsev, 43.
“So for all to see. My son is with me a lot. Majority of the week when I’m home. Every Tuesday when I land I drive straight to get him. And drop off on Sundays when I leave. Sometimes I am gone longer and his Dad and I have a great coparent system,” she wrote. “He understands how much he needs his mommy.”
Nikki reiterated that she chooses “not to post” Matteo all the time in order to “protect his privacy.”
“I wish it could be protected more. I understand sharing certain moments every now and then but not all the time. So please no more comments like this,” she continued. “Maybe shouldn’t have responded but triggered bc a small group of you think if your kid isn’t posted all the time he isn’t with you.”
Us Weekly confirmed in September 2024 that Nikki had filed for divorce from Chigvintsev, one week after he was arrested for alleged domestic violence. He was never charged due to a lack of evidence.
The former couple settled their divorce in November 2024, with Nikki agreeing to pay Chigvintsev $3,500 per month in child support, plus an additional lump sum of $200,000.
“Divorce has to deal with the paper, the contract you signed during marriage. The day of marriage, at the court before marriage, whatever,” Nikki explained on her and twin sister Brie Garcia‘s podcast in May. “So, our settlement is what everyone saw. Yes, I had to give him $200,000. Spousal support, alimony.”
She continued, “Our judge — we did private mediation — said at the end of it, ‘This is the first time in all the years I’ve done this, where a woman had to pay a man.’ The judge said, ‘You should be so damn proud that you built such an empire that someone wants a piece of it.’ It was nice to hear that … even though it hurts because I broke my neck for that money. All that is my hard-earned money.”
Weeks later, Nikki recalled reuniting with Chigvintsev for Matteo’s graduation amid their divorce, laughing with Brie over the massive balloon they bought.
“I’m taking photos of Artem and Matteo, and then I ask Artem if [he] can take photos of me and Matteo. As we are switching the balloon off, the balloon goes flying in the air, and Matteo screams. It gets caught in the tree, at least it’s in the tree. I’m like, ‘Go get it. Go get it.’ Matteo starts bawling crying,” Nikki said. “Everyone’s like talking about the balloon and I’m like, ‘Yeah, we need to get the balloon.’ Matteo won’t stop crying. So I ask Artem, ‘Can you go to Safeway and get another balloon because I don’t think we can get that down?’”
Thankfully, Chigvintsev was able to get a ladder from the school and retrieve the balloon from the tree — only for it to nearly get lost again.
“Matteo wants me to untie the balloon so he can run around with it. So I give it to him. As I give it to him, it starts going in the air. It gets wrapped around the lights,” the Total Divas alum continued. “I’m jumping as fast and as hard as I can. But I felt like I was in slow-mo. I go, ‘Why am I jumping so slow?’”
“The balloon made it home and then Matteo forgot about it and didn’t care,” Nikki concluded. “And I just stare at that balloon.”
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