Meryl Davis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Maks Claims Meryl Probably His Last Partner in ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Meryl Davis, Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Maks Claims Meryl Probably His Last Partner in ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Olympic athlete Meryl Davis and dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy, winners of "Dancing with the Stars" , appear on ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, in New York. (Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Zachary Stieber
6/19/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

Meryl Davis will likely be the last partner for Maksim Chmerkovskiy in Dancing with the Stars, the star dancer says in a new interview.

Chmerkovskiy, known to many as Maks, says that he knows he'll never get another partner at Meryl’s level of passion and skill.

“I want Meryl to be the last person I dance with,” he told Social Life magazine, “the last person I got to be passionate with and care so much for.” 

Seeming to address rumors that he and Meryl are dating, Maks explained the intensity of the program demands that the partners become close.

“Do you know what a showmance is? It is like being at a summer camp when you’re a teenager,” Chmerkovskiy, 34, said. “You spend summertime away from your home. When you spend three months very closely with someone at a particular place, it is like a summer love. You have no choice but to get involved with that person.”

“I am very close with a few of my past partners because they have played a huge role in a big part of my life,” he continued. “Three months is a long time, and if I am going to give someone that much of my time, I am going to develop a relationship with that person.” 

Maks, born in Ukraine, has had a number of partners including Erin Andrews, Mel B., and Kirstie Alley.

Despite seeming to deny rumors that he and Meryl are dating, Maks says that he is ready to settle down with someone.

“I raised so many children at the studio that I am ready to create one of my own,” he said.. “I am really ready to have a family now. I need an outlet. I have so much I want to give, and I need someone to give it to.”