Artem Chigvintsev Previously Accused of Kicking Strictly Come Dancing Partner

Accusations made against Artem Chigvintsev from his time on Strictly Come Dancing have reemerged. 

Shortly after the dancing pro—who married Nikki Garcia in 2022—was arrested for domestic violence, past allegations made by his Strictly Come Dancing partner Fern Britton have resurfaced.

The British TV show host, who was paired with the ballroom dancer during the BBC show in 2012, later accused him of “manhandling her.”

“He would look at my feet and just kick me or shove me,” she said during a 2015 interview with Huffington Post UK, claiming that he told her, “’You just stand there and don’t move, I dance round you.’”

Britton also alleged that he once told her, “Shut your face. Go home before I kill you.'"

To which she added, “I would say, ‘Oh please just kill me, it would be easier.’ Or what was his other one? ‘If you go for a cup of tea now, I will blow off like an atomic bomb.’ I thought, well I won’t correct him on that one.”

The former This Morning host went on to note that the pair “did love each other for a moment or two, but he wasn’t charm personified.” 

“I did kind of enjoy it,” she continued of her stint on the U.K. dancing competition show, “but it was grim at the same time.” 

E! News has reached out to Britton, Chigvintsev’s reps, BBC and Strictly Come Dancing for comment on the allegations but has not heard back. 

The Dancing With the Stars alum—who shares 4-year-old son Matteo with Garcia—was arrested on Aug. 29 in Yountville, Calif., for domestic violence after police received a 911 call, an officer from the Napa County Sheriff’s office previously confirmed to E! News. 

According to police, the 42-year-old was taken to the Napa County Department of Correction and was later released on a bail of $25,000. Though authorities confirmed a few details following his arrest, they noted that some factors are being kept private due to laws protecting the privacy of victims of domestic violence. 

"When someone is charged with felony domestic violence, usually this means there is a visible injury or credible eyewitness," Napa County Sheriff’s public information officer Henry Wofford previously said in a statement to E! News. "Our deputies felt comfortable arresting him on felony domestic violence charges." 

Authorities are not releasing the name, gender and age of the victim, and are not disclosing the person's relationship to Chigvintsev at this time.  

Chigvintsev has not spoken out publicly about his arrest. E! News has reached out to reps for Garcia and Chigvintsev for comment on the case but has not heard back.

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