Cheryl said she had 'grown up with' Artem and they even 'used to live together' in her 'family's home in the [San Francisco] Bay area, and that was why she was taken aback by the news about his arrest.
- Aug 31, 2024
AceShowbiz - Cheryl Burke has weighed in on Artem Chigvintsev's recent run-in with the law. When offering her two cents, the "Dancing with the Stars" pro said she was "completely shocked by her pal's domestic violence arrest.
"I hesitate to smile right now because of the current news … which I am in complete shock about," the 40-year-old said in the Friday, August 30, episode of her "Sex, Lies and Spray Tans". The episode was recorded just hours after the Russian native was taken into custody.
"Artem - it's so shocking, I get kind of emotional - so he was arrested today," the model continued. "And domestic violence has been thrown in the mix."
Cheryl said she had "grown up with" Artem and they even "used to live together" in her "family's home in the [San Francisco] Bay area." That was why she was taken aback by the news.
Noting how "serious" domestic violence is, Cheryl added, "My heart goes out to everyone involved." She further elaborated, "It's just really hard for me because he is my family, and I don't know what to say here other than I hope everybody is OK."
Artem was arrested on domestic violence charges following a series of 911 calls he made himself. According to an account by TMZ, he reported a domestic incident at his Napa, California home around 8:30 AM on Thursday morning, August 29.
Per the reports, Artem initially called to report a "medical emergency," only to panic and retract his plea shortly after. Despite his attempts to call off the responders, emergency protocol ensured that police were dispatched to his residence. Although paramedics and firefighters later returned to their stations, law enforcement officers proceeded with a welfare check, arriving at approximately 9:30 AM.
When deputies arrived, visible injuries on the alleged victim prompted them to arrest Artem on felony charges. According to Napa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Henry Wofford, "For domestic violence, if someone picks up the phone and says, 'You don't have to come after all,' we're still going to go for a welfare check. We're not just going to stop what we're doing."
