EXCLUSIVE: Former TOWIE star James Argent’s girlfriend Nicoline Artursson has been seen for the first time since news of his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence while on holiday
James Argent’s girlfriend has broken cover for the first time since he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in Spain. The TOWIE star, 37, reportedly attacked his model girlfriend Nicoline Artursson while on holiday.
He was arrested on May 5. Argent was taken into custody and reportedly received a suspended jail sentence and must carry out a “resocialisation course in the field of gender violence.” The reality TV personality was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Artursson.
In the Court of Violence Against Women in Fuengirola, Argent admitted to “mistreating” Artursson. Shocked onlookers told the Mirror they were “frightened” by what happened and said “heard an aggressive man yelling” and “throwing objects from the terrace of a nearby house”.
The Mirror understands Nicoline’s mother arrived at the scene to aid her daughter and police transported them both to a hospital.
Nicoline has since been spotted for the first time since news of Argent’s arrest. She kept her head down as she walked alongside her mum in Spain.
The model, who was former Miss Sweden, looked down at her phone as she walked along the street carrying a plastic shopping bag. She wore a white T-shirt and a pair of black capri trousers as well as a large pair of sunglasses.
Argent and Artursson met by chance in Marbella last summer and went public in September.
One onlooker admitted to being “frightened” by the shouts, telling us: “We were frightened by his shouts. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.” They claimed Artursson appeared to be “physically and emotionally devastated” by what happened.
A source close to TOWIE star Argent told The Sun he was “remorseful” about the attack but insisted “he never meant any harm.”
When approached by The Mirror, the Guardia Civil confirmed the arrest, saying: “We can confirm Mr Argent was arrested by ‘Policia Local’ of Mijas for an alleged crime of domestic violence on 5th May.”
Argent rose to fame as an original cast member on The Only Way Is Essex, appearing on the ITV series from 2010 until 2018. Over the years, the 37-year-old singer has taken part in a number of reality TV shows, including Celebrity Super Spa, The Jump, Sugar Free Farm and Celebs Go Dating.
TOWIE suspended Argent from filming in October 2014 when he failed a drug test. He later attended rehab before returning to the series. The reality TV star has regularly been an inpatient at centres due to his issues with drug addiction.
Argent previously spoke about Artursson to OK! as he said: “I was walking to my gig at Elliott Wright’s restaurant in Marbella. All of a sudden I see this woman coming towards me.
“I was like, ‘Wow, she’s beautiful.’ She was just in her gym clothes, wearing no make-up. She’d actually just fed a stray cat.”
Speaking about her, he added: “To have her beside me is like a dream. She’s absolutely beautiful. She’s a combination of Julia Roberts and Claudia Schiffer. What I love about Nicoline is, even though she’s very humble, she’s very classy.”
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk