It was quite the journey. Before getting married Nikki BellaAugust 2022 Artem Chigvintsev — who shares son Matteo with the former WWE personality — dated others in the spotlight before settling down.
The Russia native, who was once part of Burn the FloorAnd Strictly Come Dancing before joining Dancing With the StarsOver the years, he has been romantically associated with many fellow dancers. Although not all his ex-girlfriends are still present in his life today, one of them has a major impact on his weekly schedule.
Carrie Ann InabaHe is currently a judge for the ABC competition series. He was in a relationship between 2006 and 2009 with Chigvintsev. She hasn’t given him any special treatment over the years though. Fans speculated that she was being harsh on him and his partner during season 29. Kaitlyn BeristoweBecause of their past.
“I think it’s hysterical. What do you love about me though? This is what I love about the BachelorFans and Bachelorette fans. They can create a story around it!” Inaba told Us Weeklyand other reporters in November 2020. “And it’s weird because I totally understood what they were doing. They’re like, there’s jealousy there and there’s this and that because that’s what the BachelorAnd BacheloretteIt’s all about creating stories about everyone. It’s about creating stories about everybody.”
The long-serving judge continued to deny that she gave Chigvintsev, or anyone else on the series, special treatment. She pointed that she is friends and good friends with her ex and Bella, his love Bella.
“I love Artem, I respect him, I love him and Nikki together. I love that Matteo and Artem just had their baby Matteo. There’s nothing but love and I thought it was hysterical,” she continued. “So none of it bothers me. I know people are passionate about certain things. Dancing With the Stars. They’re passionate about who they’re voting for. I love that.”
Bella, for her part, also joked about the Hawaii native’s history with Chigvintsev in 2019, noting that if the judge’s save was part of the season they competed on together, maybe they would have “lasted longer” than they did.
“I think Carrie Ann totally would have saved us. And not because you guys dated … but she really liked my technique,” the Total BellasStar said during Entertainment TonightThe moment was right at that time. The dancer began to blush and covered his face during the live performance.
Despite their past relationship, Bella & Chigvintsev seem to be in a great place.
“Artem treats Nikki like a queen. He’s such a great guy and madly in love with her,” an insider exclusively toldUseIn June 2020, two years after the couple tied the knot. “She’s his dream girl, and she is super sweet to him. Their friends love them as a couple.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see who else Chigvintsev has dated — and who he married — through the years:
