“Brie encouraged Nikki to leave the marriage. Any sort of violence does not fly, and they were very worried about Nikki and her son,” a source told Entertainment Tonight.
An insider revealed similar thoughts to Life & Style on September 11.
“[Brie is] worried about his temper. Like a lot of people, she found his sometimes controlling behavior troubling. There were fears things might escalate,” the source said. “The feeling right now is that there’s no going back. Nikki’s looking for a lawyer.”
Nikki’s warning from Brie, 40, seemed to echo the same sentiment from some of Nikki’s friends.
“Friends are telling Nikki she married a monster,” a source exclusively told Life & Style.
The insider continued, “Artem is known to have a temper. He’s a perfectionist and that makes him impatient at times. Nikki made excuses for him, saying it was because he was so passionate about his craft.”
Artem’s marriage to Nikki, 40, was “volatile,” according to the source. “He came across as angry to a good many people, including his former partners and colleagues.”
Artem, 42, was arrested on August 29 after he made a call to 911. TMZ obtained an audio clip of the call and the dispatcher reported that “his wife threw shoes at [the reporting party.]” While Artem ultimately canceled the call while the paramedics were en route, authorities arrived back at the property later the same day. It was then that the Dancing With the Stars pro was arrested and booked on California penal code 273.5(a), according to jail records viewed by Life & Style. That specific code “makes it illegal to injure a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent in an act of domestic violence. This offense is also referred to as domestic abuse, domestic violence or corporal injury to a spouse.”
The Napa County Sheriff’s department later confirmed that they had physical evidence that led to the Russian native’s arrest.
“When it comes to felony domestic violence, it’s not based on hearsay,” a spokesman for the department told a news outlet. “The deputies saw something. There would be evidence of blood, sometimes scratches, sometimes it’s bruises. It’s something visible where the deputies said, ‘OK, we’re making this arrest.’”
Artem’s bail was set at $25,000, which was posted the same day. The professional dancer has yet to publicly address the situation, but a rep for Nikki released a statement on her behalf the day after his arrest.
“This is a private matter, and Nikki Bella asks for privacy for her and her family at this time,” the spokesperson said.
Almost two weeks later, Nikki filed for divorce. The former WWE wrestler listed their separation date as Artem’s arrest and she requested sole legal and physical custody of their son, Matteo.
Artem responded with a divorce filing of his own two days later on September 13. He requested joint physical and legal custody, according to Us Weekly, and asked for spousal support from Nikki.