Former Strictly Come Dancing star Artem Chigvintsev will not face charges after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in California, US authorities have confirmed. The professional dancer, who won the BBC competition in 2010 with celebrity partner Kara Tointon, was booked into Napa County Jail last month. It was not clear what led to the arrest of Chigvintsev, who posted 25,000 dollars (£19,000) bail at the time.
Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced that her office has declined to file criminal charges against the TV star after a “thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence”. “While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence,” Ms Haley said in a statement. “We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system.
“If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.” A statement added: “The Napa County District Attorney’s Office does not typically issue press releases when it declines to file charges against any given individual; however, did so for this case due to the intense media interest it has received since Mr Chigvintsev’s arrest.” The Russian dancer joined Strictly during series eight in 2010, when he was partnered.
