Former The Only Way Is Essex star James Argent has successfully appealed to a Spanish court to complete a court-ordered domestic violence rehabilitation course from his home in the UK.
Court Approves Online Rehabilitation
The 38-year-old reality TV personality was convicted in May 2025 for a violent attack on his ex-partner, Swedish model and former Miss Sweden Nicoline Artursson. Argent admitted to "ill-treatment in the field of gender violence" after pushing Artursson down a flight of stairs in Malaga, leaving her with injuries to her neck, arms, hand and leg.
As part of his suspended six-month prison sentence, Argent was mandated to attend a 10-week gender violence rehabilitation course. The programme is designed to re-educate offenders and help them construct a "new masculinity". Initially, he was expected to attend face-to-face sessions in Spain.
Details of the Assault and Aftermath
The assault occurred in the early hours following a performance at a Costa del Sol restaurant. Argent and Artursson's relationship, which began after meeting outside a supermarket, lasted around eight months before ending around the time of the incident.
In a detailed Instagram post a month later, Artursson revealed she was "brutally thrown out" of their home wearing only pyjamas. "I opened the door to let him in and only minutes after I found myself laying down on the stairs outside our house," she wrote, adding that while her physical fractures had healed, she remained "wounded inside".
A Focus on Rehabilitation Over Geography
Argent's legal team appealed for the course to be conducted online, citing his residence in the United Kingdom. A Spanish court recently granted this request. A source close to the case suggested the decision considered his non-resident status, with the Spanish system emphasising rehabilitation.
"The emphasis in Spain is very much on rehabilitation, and the fact James Argent lives in the UK and is not a resident in this country has been taken into account," the source stated.
Since his arrest, Argent has continued working as an entertainer with his band, performing at high-profile events including the wedding of fellow TOWIE stars Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Fordham in June, and at various festive events in the UK.
The court-approved course will require Argent to listen to testimonies from domestic violence survivors as part of his re-education, which experts estimated would last around 50 hours in total.
