They’re basically the reigning royalty of competitive ballroom, but the road wasn’t exactly paved with gold sequins. Honestly, if you watched Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd on Dancing with the Stars back in the day, you probably saw the sparks, but you definitely didn't see the years of "it's complicated" that preceded their 2017 Oheka Castle wedding.
It’s wild.
People forget that Maks was the "bad boy" of the ballroom for a decade, a guy who lived for the confrontation as much as the choreography. Then you have Peta, the Australian powerhouse who transitioned from ballet to ballroom after a serious injury. Their story isn't just a tabloid headline; it’s a weirdly relatable saga of career-first mentalities, heartbreaking health struggles, and a very public life lived under the unforgiving glow of reality TV cameras.
How Maks and Peta Actually Met (It Wasn't on TV)
Most fans assume they met on the set of DWTS. Nope. They actually crossed paths in 2009 on Broadway. They were both cast in the stage production of Burn the Floor. Maks was already a household name in the States, while Peta was just making her big move into the American spotlight.
It wasn't love at first sight. Not even close.
Maks has admitted in several interviews that he thought Peta was "cold" at first. On the flip side, Peta found him a bit much. It took a while for the friction to turn into something else. They didn't even start dating until 2012, long after they had both become staples of the ABC hit show. Even then, it wasn't a straight line to the altar. They broke up for almost a year in 2013. Imagine having to see your ex every single day at work while you're both strapped into spandex and forced to smile for ten million viewers. Awkward doesn't even cover it.
The breakup was supposedly initiated by Maks. He wasn't ready. He had this massive reputation to uphold, and the "Chmerkovskiy" brand was peaking. But distance—or maybe just the realization that the ballroom world is incredibly lonely—brought them back together. By the time 2015 rolled around, Maks was dropping to one knee on a dance floor in Miami to propose.
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The Reality of Balancing Fame and Family
When you're a professional dancer, your body is your business. That makes the transition to parenthood terrifying. Peta has been incredibly vocal about this, and it’s why so many women follow her journey so closely. It’s not just about the glitz.
Their first son, Shai, was born in 2017. For a while, it looked like the perfect "happily ever after." But the years following were actually filled with a lot of silent pain. Between 2020 and 2022, the couple dealt with three miscarriages.
One of those happened while Maks was away in Ukraine, filming a show, and Peta was home alone with Shai. She ended up in the hospital, thinking she just had a bad bout of COVID, only to realize she was losing a pregnancy she didn't even know she had. It’s heavy stuff. Discussing secondary infertility publicly is a massive risk for a celebrity couple, especially when your entire "brand" is built on physical perfection and high energy.
They eventually turned to IVF. It’s a grueling process. Peta documented the injections, the bloating, the emotional swings. It humanized them in a way that winning a Mirrorball Trophy never could. When Rio John Chmerkovskiy was born in June 2023, it felt like a win for their entire fanbase. And then, in a total plot twist that felt like a movie script, they announced a third pregnancy just months later. Their third son, Milan, arrived in July 2024.
Three boys. A chaotic household. A lot of very loud Ukrainian-Australian energy.
The Ukraine Crisis: A Turning Point for the Chmerkovskiys
You can't talk about Maks and Peta without talking about February 2022. Maks was in Kyiv filming World of Dance Ukraine when the Russian invasion began.
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The world watched his Instagram stories in real-time. It wasn't "content." It was survival.
Maks was posting from subways-turned-bomb shelters. He was visibly shaken, documenting the fear in the city he once called home. Back in Los Angeles, Peta was frantic. She was posting pleas for prayers, trying to coordinate communication, and dealing with the terrifying reality that her husband was trapped in a war zone.
Maks eventually made it out via a train to Poland, but the experience changed him. It changed their public image, too. They shifted from being "the dancers" to being advocates. They started Baranova 27, a charitable organization named after the address where Maks grew up in Odessa, focused on sending essential supplies to Ukraine. This wasn't a one-time donation; it became a core part of their lives.
What People Get Wrong About the "Bad Boy" Image
Maks spent years being edited as the villain. He argued with judges—most notably Len Goodman and Carrie Ann Inaba. He walked off sets. He was "The Grumpy Ukrainian."
But if you look at his life with Peta, that narrative starts to crumble. He’s arguably the more sensitive one in the relationship. Peta often jokes that she’s the "tough" one who handles the logic, while Maks is the one getting emotional over the kids' milestones.
They’ve also had to navigate the complexities of being an "intercultural" couple. You have the traditional, often rigid expectations of a Soviet-born family mixed with Peta’s more laid-back Australian upbringing. It’s a clash that they’ve navigated surprisingly well, mostly by leaning into the humor of it. They frequently post videos poking fun at their cultural differences, whether it’s about how they raise the kids or the "proper" way to make tea.
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The Business of Being Maks and Peta
Dancing doesn't last forever. Your knees give out. Your back starts to protest.
Maks and Peta have been smarter than most when it comes to the "afterlife" of a reality star. They aren't just waiting for the phone to ring. They’ve built an ecosystem.
- Saks Space: Maks and his brother Val created a platform for dance instruction and performance.
- Peta Jane Beauty: Peta launched her own line of tanning products because, as a ballroom dancer, she knows more about fake tan than probably anyone on the planet.
- Live Tours: They’ve headlined multiple national tours, like Maks & Val: Live on Tour and Confessions of a Pro, which allowed them to connect with fans without the filters of a TV producer.
- Social Media Strategy: They don't just post ads. They post the "mess." They show the toys on the floor and the tired eyes. That’s the currency of 2026.
Why They Still Matter in 2026
The reason people still Google "Maks and Peta" isn't just nostalgia for the 2010s era of ballroom dance. It’s because they represent a specific type of resilience.
They survived the "reality TV curse" that breaks most couples. They survived the transition from being the "hot young things" to being parents of three. They survived a literal war.
In a world where celebrity relationships last about as long as a TikTok trend, they’ve been together for over a decade. They’ve shown the ugly parts—the miscarriages, the fear, the professional setbacks—and that makes the "glamorous" parts feel earned rather than manufactured.
Actionable Takeaways from the Chmerkovskiy Playbook
Whether you're a fan or just curious about how they've maintained their relevance, there are a few real-world lessons to pull from their journey:
- Diversify Your Skills: Both Maks and Peta realized early that they couldn't just be dancers. They became entrepreneurs, advocates, and producers. If you're in a volatile industry, never have just one stream of income or identity.
- Radical Honesty Builds Community: Peta’s decision to share her IVF journey didn't hurt her brand; it exploded it. Being vulnerable about "taboo" topics like pregnancy loss creates a bond with an audience that no amount of polished PR can replicate.
- Values Over Optics: During the Ukraine crisis, Maks could have stayed quiet to avoid "getting political." Instead, he used his platform for direct action. People respect conviction, even if it's messy.
- Adapt to the Season: They stopped trying to be the "sexiest couple on TV" and embraced being the "chaotic parents of three." Growth requires letting go of who you used to be to make room for who you are now.
The Chmerkovskiy story is still being written, but for now, they remain the gold standard for how to turn a fleeting moment of fame into a lasting, impactful legacy. It's not just about the dance; it's about the recovery after you fall.