“It Made Us Stars… Then Strangers” — Peta & Maks Open Up About the Pain Behind the DWTS Spotlight

They were the golden couple of the ballroom — two of Dancing with the Stars’ most celebrated pros, known for their sizzling chemistry on the floor and picture-perfect life off of it. But now, in a raw and deeply personal confession, Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are pulling back the curtain on their real-life love story — and how the very show that made them famous nearly tore them apart.

“We were dancing with each other, living together, raising a child… but somehow, we became strangers,” Peta admitted. “It was like we were performing a happy marriage instead of living one.”

Fame, Fatigue, and Faking It

The couple opened up about how the relentless pace of DWTS — rehearsals, press, performing, competing — left little room for vulnerability, and even less for connection.

“There’s no off switch,” Maks said. “You go from teaching a partner how to cha-cha for 10 hours straight to rushing home and pretending you have energy left for your wife. I didn’t. And she didn’t either.”

What started as a dream job turned into a slow unraveling.

“People would say, ‘You’re so lucky to dance with your husband every day,’” Peta said. “But they didn’t see the fights behind the scenes. The resentment. The exhaustion. We weren’t partners — we were coworkers trying not to break in front of the cameras.”

The Breaking Point

At their lowest, Peta says she would cry in the car after rehearsals — not because of the show, but because of the distance growing between her and the man she once called her best friend.

“There were moments I looked at him and thought, Do you even see me anymore? Not the dancer. Not the mother. Me. And I didn’t like the answer I felt in my gut.”

Maks, equally candid, admitted to checking out emotionally.

“I thought I was doing my job — providing, performing, being present professionally. But at home? I wasn’t present at all.”

A Marriage Rebuilt, One Honest Conversation at a Time

Their turning point didn’t come in the ballroom — it came in the quiet, off-camera moments when they finally allowed themselves to fall apart.

“We had to say the ugly things,” Peta said. “That we were hurting. That we were angry. That we missed us but didn’t know how to find our way back.”

Through therapy, intentional time off, and a shared decision to stop performing and start reconnecting, Peta and Maks began to heal — together.

“We had to stop treating our relationship like choreography,” Maks added. “Love isn’t eight counts and clean lines. It’s messy. It’s real. And we almost lost it trying to make it look perfect.”

Still Dancing, Still Fighting — For Each Other

Now, years later, Peta and Maks say they’re stronger — not in spite of what they went through, but because of it.

“We learned that love doesn’t always look like a standing ovation,” Peta said. “Sometimes, it looks like a tear-streaked apology at 3 a.m. Sometimes, it looks like starting over.”

“DWTS gave us a platform,” Maks added. “But we almost let it take our marriage. Never again.”

Their message to others?

“Behind every polished moment, there’s a story. Don’t be afraid to write yours honestly — even if it breaks you first,” Peta said.

Because for them, love didn’t just survive the spotlight.
It learned to shine through the cracks. 💔✨