Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev's Marriage Called 'Volatile' in Worrying Report

Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia reportedly had a "volatile" marriage prior to the Dancing With the Star pro's domestic violence arrest . Sources with "direct knowledge" of the couple's relationship told TMZ that close friends were aware the pair had a tumultuous relationship and called his arrest on Aug. 29, just days after the couple celebrated their second wedding anniversary, "shocking but not shocking."

Chigvintsev and Garcia first met in 2017 when they were paired together for Dancing With the Stars Season 25, and according to the sources, their relationship has always been "volatile." Although exact details weren't shared, the sources claimed that those close to the couple were aware of past verbal altercations stemming from issues involving control and belittlement between Chigvintsev and Garcia, who married in 2022 and share 4-year-old son Matteo Artemovich , and were not surprised by Chigvintsev's 911 call in which he reported that his wife allegedly threw shoes at him during a heated argument. It's unclear what sparked the reported argument and the 911 call, in which Chigvintsev requested "medical assistance" before later retracting the request.

Although the couple has remained quiet in the wake of Chigvintsev's arrest, they have been open about struggles in their relationship. Speaking with Us Weekly in February 2021, Garcia admitted that their relationship "has definitely been a struggle... We have so many ups and downs." She revealed that she and the DWTS pro were planning to go to couples therapy to deal with communication issues, sharing, "we've realized that we both feel like we're not listening to each other." While she told the outlet in March 2021 that couples therapy "helped us tremendously," sources recently told Entertainment Tonight that "recently things have become tumultuous and they have been butting heads."

Although TMZ 's sources claimed that those close to the couple were not aware of any physical altercations between Chigvintsev and Garcia prior to Thursday's incident, they said friends of the couple found Chigvintsev's arrest "shocking but not shocking." The DWTS pro was taken into police custody after police were called to the couple's Napa Valley home. He was charged with felony corporal injury to a spouse or co-inhabitant, though it remains unclear what led to his arrest and those specific charges.

Chigvintsev was released after posting a $25,000 bail and is currently not living in the couple's home, TMZ 's sources revealed. Garcia, as well as their 4-year-old son, is said to be residing in the home as Garcia explores "her options, including divorce." She has reportedly begun to search for divorce lawyers with the intent to file for divorce, according to reports.