Nikki Garcia Hosts ‘Unfinished Beef’ After Husband Artem’s Arrest for Domestic Violence

Three days after her husband Artem Chigvintsev was arrested in Northern California and taken into custody following a domestic violence incident, Nikki Garcia appeared live on Netflix today to host
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef alongside Rob Riggle.

The special, which was shot in Las Vegas, featured a hot dog eating contest between competitive-eating rivals Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi Takeru. During the event, an audience member exclaimed, “I love you” to Garcia, introduced by Riggle as “an accomplished athlete herself, a WWE hall of famer.”

Wearing an all-red ensemble but notably missing her wedding ring, Garcia kicked off the special by expressing her happiness to be there.

Chigvintsev was booked Thursday in Napa County, CA on charges under California penal code 273.5(a), which criminalizes inflicting injury on a spouse, cohabitant, or fellow parent in an act of domestic violence. His bail was set at $25,000, as confirmed by jail records. Details about the incident remain sparse.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ that the incident occurred in Yountville, CA, just before 10 a.m. Deputies responded to a domestic violence call, leading to an arrest at the scene. Reports indicate that injuries were involved.

Garcia’s representative informed People that “this is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.” The couple recently celebrated their second anniversary on August 26.

During Unfinished Beef, Garcia showed her support for Kobayashi before the competition. Riggle mentioned that Netflix had prepared “300 hot dogs” for the event. Ultimately, Chestnut triumphed, consuming 83 hot dogs compared to Kobayashi’s 67.