"Everyone wants to dance on the bones." Valeria and Artyom Chekalin spoke about divorce

Bloggers Valeria Chekalina (Lerchek) and her husband Artyom commented on the news of divorce after 11 years of marriage, which was reported by the media yesterday with reference to court documents. The spouses, the criminal case against whom was only recently closed, neither confirmed nor denied the separation, but asked to be left alone and given time.

“I know that you want comments. But for now it’s very difficult for me. Please give me time and just support. Just be there,” wrote Valeria in Stories*.

Artyom Chekalin was more emotional in his address to the audience: “Please understand and accept. Everyone wants some comments, dancing on the bones. Everything that was, everything that is, will remain within our family, so please do not write anything Lera, neither me, let us live in peace,” he said on Instagram*.

Having closed this topic, bloggers continued in their publications to talk about their new projects and advertise a new weight loss marathon. Such Internet activity has caused bewilderment among many subscribers: people suspect that the news about the divorce is just a “warm-up” before the next course.

On March 19, it became known that Valeria Chekalina filed for divorce. The first court hearing will take place on March 25. Rumors about problems in the relationship between the spouses had been circulating for a long time, and they themselves partially confirmed this: Valeria said that a criminal case for tax evasion seriously hit their relationship with her husband, and they had to visit a psychotherapist.

Let us recall that in March 2023, Valeria Chekalina was accused of tax evasion in the amount of 311 million rubles and money laundering. Artyom Chekalin was also charged with money laundering on a particularly large scale. The investigation lasted for about a year, and a ban on certain actions was imposed on the Chekalins: in particular, they could not use the Internet. In mid-January 2024, the Chekalins paid off a debt to the tax office of half a billion rubles; on March 1, the criminal case was closed.

Valeria Artyom Chekalins were considered one of the most popular and richest Russian bloggers. They became famous for their fitness marathons and posts about raising three children and a healthy lifestyle. The couple has been married since 2012.