Nikki Bella Hosts Netflix Hotdog Eating Contest Amidst Personal Turmoil
Nikki Bella made a big return to the public eye, hosting Netflix’s live hotdog eating contest between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi in Las Vegas, just days after her husband, Artem Chigvintsev, was arrested for felony domestic violence.
The former WWE star took the stage during the Labor Day event, co-hosting alongside Rob Riggle. Nikki received an outpouring of support from the crowd, marking her first public appearance since Artem’s arrest in Napa, California. She was greeted with cheers, and one fan even shouted, “Love you, Nikki!” to which she responded with, “Love you too.”
TMZ reported that Artem was arrested after calling 911 to request medical assistance. He later canceled the request, claiming Nikki had thrown shoes at him. The dispatcher noted that the couple was physically separated at the time, but police arrived an hour later and arrested Artem for felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.
On Saturday, Nikki was seen boarding a private jet from California to Nevada without her wedding ring, which she also wasn’t wearing during the broadcast. Although she skipped Sunday’s promotional event where Joey and Kobayashi weighed in, Nikki made her grand entrance on Monday and showed no visible signs of injury.
Sources have indicated that Nikki and Artem’s relationship has been volatile for years, making the recent events less surprising to those close to the couple.
While Nikki has been seen twice since the incident, Artem has remained out of the public eye except for his mug shot.