DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy Reflects on Past Ballroom Romances

“Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy opened up about some of the romances he had as a young dancer.

On the December 3, 2024, episode of the “Lightweights Podcast,” Chmerkovskiy, 38, admitted he regretted romancing some of his celebrity partners while competing on the ABC ballroom show.

“Long time ago, my first couple of seasons, I’ve been given partners that I did have romantic exchanges with,” Chmerkovskiy told host Joe Vulpis. “Incredibly unprofessional to do so in my mind. Because I’m here as their teacher and as their partner,” he added. “I’m probably, in some way or another, in a position of authority to them. Like, don’t [expletive] where you eat kind of thing comes into play.”

Val Chmerkovskiy Explained Why He Shouldn’t Have Romanced His Dance Partners

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Chmerkovskiy has been married to fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson since 2019 and they welcomed a son, Rome, in January 2023. But long before he found romance with his future wife, Chmerkovskiy was involved with some of his celebrity partners—a move he now seemingly regrets.

“I’m very serious about my job and my craft, and so, to have allowed myself to get involved during [the season]…” he said on “Lightweights.” “Now after the season, that’s different,” he clarified. “We’re both adults, we’re not at work. But during the season, I feel like that was a bit irresponsible at times. Behind closed doors, I undermined my own season by doing that.”

The ballroom pro noted that he doesn’t mind seeing “authentic” connections from the show but doesn’t agree with playing up “showmances” in an attempt to get audience votes.

While he didn’t name specific couples, some past successful DWTS partnerships that turned into lasting relationships include engaged couple Britt Stewart and Daniel Durante (season 31), and Kym Johson and her now-husband Robert Herjavec (season 15).

There Were Rumors About Val Chmerkovskiy & Several of His DWTS Partners

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Chmerkovskiy did not go into detail about which of his past partners he had romances with. He has competed on 20 seasons of “Dancing With the Stars” since 2011 and has been paired with Elisabetta Canalis, Rumer Willis, Normani, and more.

There were rumors that Chmerkovskiy was romantically involved with his season 19 partner, Janel Parrish. In 2014, a source told Hollywood Life that the DWTS partners were spotted getting cozy at a  Halloween party together. “They are hooking up and casually dating,” the insider claimed at the time. “Nothing serious but they are super into each other and are just taking the time to enjoy each other’s company!”

The following year there were rumors about Chmerkovskiy and his partner Rumer Wills. A source told Page Six that Willis was smitten with the pro dancer and even got a tattoo of her and Chmerkovskiy embracing after their Mirrorball trophy win. Wilis had the tattoo removed after Chmerkovskiy began dating Johnson soon after. “Rumer was so infatuated with Val when they won, she got this giant tattoo of them dancing together,” the insider alleged. “Now she feels like a fool, so she’s now undergoing this painful tattoo removal.”