Lea Thompson, 42-year-old professional dancer Artyom Chigvintsev's former “Dancing with the Stars” partner, is reflecting on her experience working with Chigvintsev, just weeks after he was arrested on domestic violence charges.
During an appearance on Cheryl Burke's podcast,Sex, lies and spray tansIn the film, the 63-year-old actress describes director Chigvintsev as “passionate” during rehearsals and reveals that he was often “angry.”
“It was hard working with him because it was his first year and it was a big deal for him,” Thompson told Burke. “He was so committed. It meant a lot more to him than it did to me, to be honest. So I was really nervous and I was kind of going crazy after a while.”
“Some of the things he told me were that it was really hard being Russian, being a ballet dancer and having Russian dance teachers who were always very strict,” added Thompson, who appeared on season 19 of the dance competition show.
'DWTS' pro Artem Chigvintsev arrested for domestic violence three days after wedding anniversary
Artyom Chigvintsev and Lea Thompson were partners on season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. (Getty Images)
“I was never allowed to say, 'Can I do this?' He would get so angry at me, like, 'You can't do that, you can't even think about doing that,'” she alleged.
Burke, a former “DWTS” pro who previously spoke about how “shocking” Chigvintsev's arrest was, said he felt the portrayal of their relationship on screen was “one-sided.”
Nikki Bella admits she 'hated' fiance Artyom Chigvintsev
“I saw you say to Artyom, 'Don't talk to me like that,' and it felt one-sided. What Artyom said to you wasn't broadcast. It didn't make sense to me,” she said.
Thompson claims that Chigvintsev was often “angry” during rehearsals. (Getty Images)
Thompson also revealed that Chigvintsev made “bizarre” comments that made her question the dancer's beliefs, claiming that “men are so much better than women… because men are stronger.”
Representatives for Thompson and Chigvintsev did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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On August 29, Chigvintsev Married to Nikki Bella According to records viewed by Fox News Digital, in 2022, a California man was arrested at approximately 9:40 a.m. for violating California Penal Code Section 273.5(a) PC, also known as domestic violence or bodily injury against a spouse, ex-spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, or the mother or father of his or her children.
Artyom Chigvintsev was arrested on August 29 on suspicion of domestic violence. (Getty Images/Napa County Department of Corrections)
The professional dancer was arrested at 10:40 a.m. and released on $25,000 bail at approximately 2:18 p.m. the same day.
A trial date was set for November 4th.
““When someone is charged with felony domestic violence, it usually means there are visible injuries and/or credible witnesses,” Napa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Henry Wofford said in a statement. E! News“Officers from the department felt comfortable arresting him on felony domestic violence charges.”
Wofford said some details of the case, including the victim's name, are not being made public due to laws protecting the privacy of victims of domestic violence.
The arrest came two days after the couple celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
The two got married in 2022. (Getty Images)
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“This song is our love story,” said the singer, whose real name is Nikki Gallica, wrote on Instagrama video montage of their wedding day plays, with “Can't Help Falling In Love” playing in the background. “I'll never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem. The conversation with him and God. How I felt so fast. It all felt so fast. And then this song came on, and I knew in that moment that I was falling in love with him and it was all meant to be.”
Chigvintsev posted a tribute on his Instagram account.“Happy anniversary my love. I can't imagine life without you. You are my everything,” she wrote.
Bella and Chigvintsev were partners on season 25 of “DWTS.” (Getty Images)
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The couple have a four-year-old son, Matteo.
Days after her arrest, Bella was in Las Vegas to co-host Netflix's hotly anticipated live dog-eating competition, “Joey Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” where she was noticeably absent from her wedding ring.
Nikki Bella ditched her wedding ring while hosting an event just days after Chigvintsev's arrest. (Getty Images)
Chigvintsev and Bella met while co-starring on season 25 of DWTS in 2017. Bella was engaged to John CenaHowever, the two called off their engagement in 2018.
