EXCLUSIVE: James Argent’s girlfriend was left emotional in the street after her clash with the reality star, a passerby has exclusively revealed to the Mirror
James Argent’s Swedish model girlfriend sobbed in the street after her altercation with the TOWIE star, telling a passerby: “I can’t believe what’s happened…we planned to have a family.” Nicoline Artursson was consoled by a witness who came to her aid just moments after the bust-up.
She told the passerby: “I’m in total shock…my life with Arg was so happy before this.” Former Miss Sweden Artursson was on a getaway with Argent, in Mijas, near Malaga, on May 5.
The passerby, who had been dining at a nearby restaurant, witnessed the commotion from across the road. The witness said: “I saw him throwing all his clothes off the balcony… And a lot of screaming in the house, and then he ran out with a large bag.
Nicoline was crying a lot and very nervous and agitated on the street, trying to call the police, but they didn’t speak English, so I went to help her translate. She said nothing like this had ever happened before.” The witness said the bust-up occurred around 11pm and both the police and Artursson’s mother later arrived after Argent had left.
“When she spoke to the police, she said he had behaved badly with her and the police said you should come to the police station to report it. They said to go with them in the police car,” the person said. “Her mother told her to grab some clothes and said ‘we’ll go’. I went home but I told them if they needed help, I’m here.”
The passerby said that no idea that the couple in question were famous. The witness added: “I just saw a girl crying on the street trying to call the police, and I went out to help and translate. Then she stayed with the police, and I went home. She kept thanking me for being with her and helping her.”
Spanish police said Argent was later arrested for “an alleged crime of domestic violence”. The reality star appeared before the Court of Violence against Women, in Fuengirola, and was later handed a suspended prison sentence for a gender violence offence and given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years
He was banned from contacting Artursson, 32, during this period. Today, Artursson was seen for the first time with her mother in Spain texting on her phone. A second witness said Ms Artursson appeared “emotionally and physically devastated” after the bust-up. “We were out walking our dogs by the beach when we suddenly heard an aggressive man yelling,” they said. “We saw him throwing objects from the terrace of a nearby house. We were frightened by his shouts.
“The man continued to throw things as she lay injured on the stairs. The situation escalated quickly, and we were scared and unsure of what to do. Another woman arrived to assist the injured woman, who was lying helplessly at the foot of the stairs. At that moment, the man slammed the door and fled. Within moments, concerned bystanders had gathered to help the woman, and the police arrived swiftly.”
The reality star has since spoken after his arrest. “I am devastated by what’s happened.” He went on to tell the Daily Mail that he hadn’t relapsed, explaining: “I am still three years and four months clean and sober.”
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. Speaking in 2023, Argent said: “I battled with [drug addiction] for a number of years. But I’ve got through it and I’m doing alright. I’m doing well. I’m clean, sober, and I have been for a long time now.”
Weeks before the domestic violence arrest, Arg gushed over their relationship while attending Jess Wright’s Have A Heart Charity Ball on April 22. “My girlfriend is back in our beach house in Marbella but I’m representing us both tonight. Everything is good with us, it’s going really good, I’m happy,” he told the Mirror
When asked whether seeing pal Mark Wright welcome a baby with his wife Michelle Keegan, made him broody and want kids of his own, he laughed: “No comment.”
He previously spoke about Artursson to OK! Magazine saying: “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.”
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.”
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