Charity Lawson ‘blindsided’ by former ‘DWTS’ partner Artem Chigvintsev’s domestic violence arrest

Charity Lawson is still processing the news of her former “Dancing With the Stars” partner Artem Chigvintsev’s recent domestic violence arrest. 

“[I was] blindsided a little bit. I wasn’t expecting it at all,” the 28-year-old says while guest appearing on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast.

Lawson – who placed fourth in Season 32 of the ABC dance competition series last year – emphasizes that she “obviously [doesn’t] know any details” about the alleged incident involving Chigvintsev, 42, and his wife, Nikki Garcia. 

Charity Lawson, pictured here with “Virtual Reali-Tea” co-hosts Danny Murphy and Evan Real, plus fellow Bachelor Nation star Kat Izzo, weighs in on Artem Chigvintsev’s recent arrest while visiting Page Six’s New York City Studio. Instagram/@katizzzo Lawson, who was partnered with Chigvintsev during Season 32 of “Dancing With the Stars” last fall, says she was “blindsided” by the news. The Walt Disney Company

“[I’m] giving them the space and … all the love and healing,” she continues, adding that she is a big fan of Garcia, 40, who wed Chigvintsev in August 2022. 

As previously reported, the former ballroom pro was charged with felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant in Napa Valley, Calif., on Aug. 29.

Chigvintsev — who shares a 4-year-old son named Matteo with Garcia — was released on a $25,000 bail later that afternoon.

The former ballroom pro, who is married to Nikki Garcia, was charged with felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant. nikkigarcia/Instagram Lawson says she is sending the couple “love and healing” in the aftermath of the incident. Charity Lawson/Instagram

Lawson notes that she has not been in touch with Chigvintsev since, though she appreciated his support when she was subjected to a stream of social media hate during her time on “DWTS.” 

“I think he was more shocked than anything because he was like, ‘This is going on? This is what’s being said?’” says Lawson, who confesses her mental health took a hit after sustaining “death threats” and more hurtful attacks — some of them even racially charged — from viewers. 

“He’s like, ‘I don’t understand.’”

Back in 2023, Lawson became the third black woman to lead “The Bachelorette” in the series’ 20-year history. She plans to unpack more of her experiences as a woman of color in the unscripted space on “Tap In,” the new podcast she’s co-hosting with fellow Bachelor Nation star Kat Izzo.

Lawson, who became the third black woman to lead “The Bachelorette” in 2023, says participating on “DWTS” took a toll on her mental health because of online hate from viewers. Charity Lawson/Instagram She says Chigvintsev offered her support throughout the ordeal. Getty Images

“We obviously come from the reality TV space and have very unique experiences,” she says of Izzo, 28, who most recently starred on “Bachelor in Paradise” Season 9 and joined her for the Page Six podcast interview.

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“For me, being a woman of color in this space and industry has been so tricky to just navigate and find my footing. So that’s something I want to highlight,” Lawson elaborates. “I also want to give other women of color a space, a platform to talk about their experiences because I think a lot of people don’t know that.”

Izzo, for her part, hopes to facilitate opportunities for other notable figures to share more beyond their public personas. 

Lawson and Izzo chatted with “Virtual Reali-Tea” while promoting their new podcast, “Tap In.” Instagram/@katizzzo The ladies plan to use the project to unpack their respective reality TV experiences. Instagram/@katizzzo

“It’s time that we take our power back,” she says, acknowledging the “villain” archetype she unknowingly fulfilled for producers. 

“People that want to go in the comments section, maybe think about it for a second. We all get so misunderstood because we just see the person from the screen [but] let’s just all try to understand that there are so many other layers to human beings.” 

Lawson and Izzo plan to start recording “Tap In” this month.