Nikki Garcia Admits She 'Played Up' Artem Chigvintsev Romance In Public Eye Before Divorce

Almost two weeks after the former couple finalized their divorce and dropped the their dual restraining orders, the Total Bellas star took to her The Nikki & Brie Show podcast to break her silence on the difficult breakup.

While Nikki called the split "heartbreaking" the former WWE star, who shares 4-year-old son, Matteo, with Artem, admitted she had been "play[ing] up" her relationship with the dance pro in the public eye.

"I wanted [him] to heal. I wanted [him] to get help … because that's what my son, [Matteo] deserves," Nikki explained.

She continued, "It's sad. [The relationship] hasn't been great for a long time. I really played it up like things were a lot better than they were in the public eye. I felt like, 'If I can just put this person on a pedestal … maybe they can believe that in themselves.'"

Nikki also noted that she didn't want "another failed public relationship," referencing her split from former fiancé, John Cena.

Her return to the podcast was an an emotional one, with Nikki sitting down with sister Brie Garcia to unpack the split during the Dec. 2 episode.

"I first want to just thank everyone, the listeners, you, family, friends, coworkers, people I haven't talked to in a long time, just for all the love and support, for the respect of privacy and space," Nikki said at the top of the show.

As she noted, "The past few months, I disconnected from social media, from the world. And I just knew that I needed to disconnect, because first things first, I'm a mom and my son's protection and privacy is the most important. So I was going to do whatever it took for that, most importantly, and then just needing space, for healing, for facing trauma, head on, all of that. So it's been tough. It's been really tough. I've been heartbroken, sad."

The 41-year-old went on share how she was dealing with the aftermath of the split, sharing that she could've never predicted this when the pair tied the knot two years ago.

"You dream of having this family, and you have this incredible love," the former WWE star continued, "and it just goes the other way. And you go from having a great love story to having a terrible one, and—never saw any of it coming. You know, as far as what the ending would be. So it's just been a struggle."

Nikki's insight into her journey comes three months after the Dancing With the Stars pro -- who shares 4-year-old son Matteo with the WWE star -- was arrested on a suspicion of felony domestic violence charge.

Artem was arrested on Aug. 29 following an incident at his and Nikki's home. According to a September press release, local prosecutors decided not to press charges after evaluating the evidence.

That same month, Nikki filed for divorce from Artem, 42, listing his arrest as their official date of separation, per court documents obtained by TMZ.

While Nikki didn't delve into all the details about what happened between her and Artem, she did share how she felt in the aftermath.

"I've been so shocked, like beyond words, and it's been heartbreaking," she explained. "You lose your appetite, you cry a lot. And then I also stepped up and made sure everything was okay for Matteo. And so it's just been -- I don't even know what other words to use."

Now, Nikki is focused on moving forward, and the pair's son.

"The one thing that I have realized disconnecting from the world, it's when you know the truth, nothing else matters," Nikki shared. "So when some of you would come to me and tell me what people were saying or what was out there, it would affect me in some way, but because I know the truth, and I actually lived it, it didn't have a big effect on me."

"All I need to do is focus on my healing. I need to focus on Matteo's healing," she added.

As for Artem, he's fought back against Nikki's account of their confrontation, alleging in his filed response that she was the aggressor during their confrontation in August. The following month, Artem spoke out, noting that the former couple's son Matteo remained his main focus.

"He is my world, and being his father is the greatest blessing in my life," Artem said in a Sept. 25 statement. "All along, my main concern has been for him."

He added, "I am committed to continuing to provide him with the love, support, and care he needs as we move forward. I am hopeful that securing an equal custody arrangement will help us move on."