Maks Chmerkovskiy spent nearly two decades as one of the most recognizable professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars before a quiet, guarded run on Season 2 of The Traitors ended faster than his fans expected.
Chmerkovskiy’s path to the ballroom started with a family that left Ukraine to give their children a shot at something bigger.
From Ukraine to the Ballroom
Chmerkovskiy was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and immigrated to the United States with his family as a child, settling in Brooklyn, New York. He and his younger brother Valentin, also a future Dancing with the Stars professional, trained in ballroom dance from an early age under their parents, who were dance instructors themselves.
Nearly Two Decades on Dancing with the Stars
Chmerkovskiy joined Dancing with the Stars as a professional across 17 seasons, finally winning the Mirrorball trophy in 2014 with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis after several earlier runner-up and third-place finishes with other partners. That long tenure made him one of the show’s most established names, alongside stage work in Broadway-adjacent productions like Burn the Floor and Forever Tango.
A Quiet Game on The Traitors
Chmerkovskiy joined Season 2 of The Traitors as a Faithful and tried to play a relatively low-profile game, staying out of the spotlight rather than pushing accusations at other players. That strategy backfired once Deontay Wilder grew suspicious of him. His guarded, careful answers under pressure read to the group as evasive rather than cautious, and the suspicion built until he was banished.
Marriage, Family, and Life Now
Chmerkovskiy married fellow Dancing with the Stars professional Peta Murgatroyd in 2017, and the two have a son, Shai, born in 2017, and a second son born in 2021. He hasn’t formally returned to the DWTS cast since stepping back, though he indicated in 2025 interviews that he hasn’t ruled out a comeback if asked. He continues to run his dance studio, Dance & Co, and comments publicly on each new season of the show that made him famous.