Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella’s marriage has been volatile

Artem Chigvintsev‘s domestic violence arrest didn’t come out of the blue, at least according to people who say they know him NikkiBella …they tell us that the relationship has always been ‘volatile’.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Artem and Nikki’s close friends, including their former “DWTS” cast and crew members, aren’t entirely shocked by Artem’s claims that Nikki threw shoes at him during a heated argument.

We’re told that Artem and Nikki’s marriage has been troubled for a while, and it wasn’t exactly a secret to anyone close to them.

Given the history here, we’re told that the general reaction among Artem and Nikki’s friends to his arrest for domestic violence was this: “Shocking but not shocking.”

TMZ broke the stories…Artem was caught Thursday morning for bodily injury to a spouse or cohabitant, and a radio report reveals Artem claimed Nikki threw shoes at him. Artem was the one who initially called for paramedics, before changing his mind and asking them not to come to their Napa Valley home.

Our sources say people close to the couple were only aware of previous verbal altercations between Artem and Nikki … and no one had heard of any physical fighting before Thursday’s incident.

Yet we are told that the consistent story from their marriage is that their arguments often stemmed from issues of control and belittlement.

Nikki says their marriage needed work, especially in terms of communication… in 2021 she revealed she and Artem went to couples therapy because of the way he spoke to her.

Our sources add… Artem is currently away from the Napa Valley home, and Nikki is watching their 4-year-old son Mateo.