Nikki Garcia is speaking out after a whirlwind few months that ended with her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.
“I’m going to try my best not to get too emotional in this episode,” Nikki said at the top of the Dec. 2 episode of The Nikki & Brie Show, her podcast with her twin sister, Brie Garcia.
Nikki went on to thank those around her — including her family, friends and fans — for “all the love and support, for the respect of privacy and space” they had shown her and her 4-year-old son, Matteo, whom she shares with Artem.
Nikki went on to say that she had “disconnected from social media, from the world” the past few months, because “I’m a mom, and my son’s protection and privacy is the most important.”
“So, I was gonna do whatever it took for that, most importantly,” she said. “So it’s been tough. It’s been really tough. I’ve been heartbroken, sad.”
The WWE Hall of Famer’s podcast return comes just over three months after Artem was arrested following an alleged domestic violence incident on Aug. 29. Nearly a month later, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office announced that he would not face criminal charges related to his arrest.
Nikki filed for divorce on Sept. 11. A representative for Nikki confirmed to ABC News in a statement on Nov. 20 that the couple had “settled their divorce and will not be going to court.”
In her podcast return Monday, Nikki spoke about the pain attached to the breakdown of her relationship. “You dream of having this family, and you have this incredible love, and it just goes the other way,” she said. “And you go from having a great love story to having a terrible one … never saw any of it coming, you know, as far as what the ending would be.”
Nikki said protecting Matteo during it all has been “the hardest part,” adding, “I didn’t know that your heart can break that many times in such a short period of time.”
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