Gleb Savchenko has broken his silence in wake of Dancing With The Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev’s shock domestic violence arrest last month.
Artem, 42, was taken into custody on August 29 after he allegedly attacked his now-estranged wife Nikki Garcia, 40, at their Napa, California home.
Though he did not directly address Artem’s legal woes, Savchenko did speak highly of his friend during the show’s season 33 premiere on Tuesday.
Savchenko, 41, and have had a close bond Artem since the latter joined Dancing With The Stars full-time in 2014.
Artem is not dancing this season but Savchenko will be competing for the mirrorball trophy with swimsuit model Brooks Nader as his partner.
Gleb Savchenko has broken his silence in wake of Dancing With The Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev’s shock domestic violence arrest last month
‘He’s part of the family. He’s such a great dancer that people don’t realize,’ Savchenko said of Artem to E! News.
‘He’s the quality. It’s not about quantity, it’s about the quality.’
He praised Artem — who specializes in Latin dancing — for always knowing ‘how to create a beautiful routine.’
Savchenko confirmed to the outlet that he and Artem speak ‘all the time’ and that he sees him as a ‘brother.’
‘He’s just my brother and I send him love and positivity,’ he said.
Gleb’s remarks come less than a week after Artem responded to Nikki’s divorce filing by also officially filing last Friday.
The Russian dancer cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for their split in documents obtained by Us Weekly.
He listed the date of separation as August 29 – which was the same day that he was arrested for felony domestic violence charges following an alleged altercation at their home.
Chigvintsev has also requested for joint legal and physical custody of his and Nikki’s four-year-old son, Matteo.
He has asked for spousal support, and also requested that Garcia pay for his legal fees, per the documents.
In the filing, Artem claimed that he was a putative spouse between the dates of August 26, 2022 and January 19, 2023.
A putative spouse is an individual who believes they are legally married to someone, but the marriage itself is not valid.
Artem, 42, was taken into custody on August 29 after he allegedly attacked his now-estranged wife Nikki Garcia, 40, at their Napa, California home
Artem was arrested on felony domestic violence charges and released on $25,000 bail
Chigvintsev and Garcia notably said ‘I do’ back in August 2022 during a ceremony in Paris, France.
But in the documents, per Us Weekly, the professional dancer stated that they also tied the knot in the United States in January 2023.
Garcia filed for divorce two days earlier on Wednesday at the Superior Court of Napa – and has asked for sole legal and physical custody of their son.
She also cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ in the dissolution documents, per TMZ, and cited August 29 as the date of separation, the day of Artem’s arrest.
The TV personality stated she is open to Artem getting visitation rights for their son Matteo, four.
However, while Chigvintsev has asked spousal support from Nikki – she has asked to block the court’s ability to award spousal support to either of them.
Just days before the pro dancer was placed into handcuffs, the couple had marked their second wedding anniversary.
At the time, Chigvintsev shared a heartfelt message in an Instagram post that read, ‘Happy anniversary my love, can’t see my life without you. You are my everything.’
Over the weekend on Saturday, Chigvintsev updated his Instagram bio by re-adding his wife’s name, less than 24-hours after removing it.
Sources recently told DailyMail.com that Chigvintsev is desperately trying to salvage the marriage.
Though he did not directly address Artem’s legal woes, Savchenko did speak highly of his friend during the show’s season 33 premiere on Tuesday; Gleb and Artem seen with Julianne hough in 2023
Artem is not dancing this season but Savchenko will be competing for the mirrorball trophy with swimsuit model Brooks Nader as his partner
Cops were called to the couple’s $1.5 million marital home in Yountville, California, following reports of a bust-up on August 29.
Sources said the couple dialed 911 twice – first to request assistance for an injury before calling back and asking paramedics not to come.
But due to the sounds of a domestic disturbance in the background, cops from the Napa Sheriff’s Department descended on the couple’s leafy neighborhood anyway, taking Chigvintsev with them.
He was booked into the Napa County Jail on felony domestic violence charges at 10:59 am before being released on a $25,000 bond at approximately 2:18pm.
A mugshot released by the Napa County Sheriff’s office showed the ballroom star looking glum-faced in a check shirt while sporting a grizzled beard.
The arrest, which reportedly came after Garcia threw shoes at her husband, took place less than four days after the pair celebrated the anniversary of their August 2022 wedding – with both marking the moment on social media.
Sources said Chigvintsev is currently scheduled to face court in Napa on Tuesday over the incident and cannot leave Napa County until the case is resolved.
And now Artem is said to be hellbent on proving to wife Nikki that he ‘can be a changed man.’
While she has allegedly banned Artem from seeing their son Matteo without supervision and is searching for a divorce lawyer, sources have revealed to DailyMail.com that he is in the ‘fight of his life’ to win her back – especially now that he has been dropped from the upcoming season of DWTS.
Gleb’s remarks come less than a week after Artem responded to Nikki’s divorce filing by also officially filing last Friday; seen in 2019
Chigvintsev has also requested for joint legal and physical custody of his and Nikki’s four-year-old son, Matteo
‘Artem is very frustrated and mad that he wasn’t asked to be on this season of Dancing with the Stars, and now it looks like he will never be back,’ they said. ‘His life professionally and personally is and has been flipped upside down.’
‘He doesn’t know what his next steps are with Nikki, he has been upset for a long time and now he is in the fight of his life to clear his name and win back Nikki, but as of right now he hasn’t decided what he might do to show her that he can be a changed man.’
‘They currently have limited dialogue with each other.’
‘If and when he sees Matteo, Nikki wants it supervised. Her trust has been thrown out the door and she is very angry with Artem, he has an uphill battle ahead of him. The whole thing is a mess.’
‘She has tried and tried to make it work, but she feels divorce is the only option. It hurts but Nikki is such a strong woman, and she is doing what is right for her, and for Matteo.’