Maks Chmerkovskiy is taking some time off from the "Dancing with the Stars" stage for its third week, leaving his celebrity partner Vanessa Lachey in the hands of Alan Bersten. On Monday, it was revealed that the Ukrainian-American dancer would be absent from the ballroom to deal with personal issues.
Rumored conflict between Maks and Vanessa
No further explanation was given with regards to his sudden nonappearance on the dance program. A source, however, claimed that Maks Chmerkovskiy's ongoing conflict with Vanessa Lachey had forced him to take a breather from performing on the show.
It revealed that the two do not get along and have not been rehearsing together in the past week. An affiliate told Entertainment Tonight that the duo are both "stubborn, strong-willed people" who have been faking their good relationship for "Dancing With The Stars."
It added the conflict between Maks Chmerkovskiy and Vanessa Lachey escalated this past week that led to the pro's absence from the dance competition. "It was nothing specific, just little disagreements that escalated," it explained.
The source reassured that the "Dancing with the Stars" pro would return to the ballroom next week. Similarly, the 37-year-old instructor hinted at his comeback in an Instagram post, wherein he also thanked Alan Bersten for filling in during his absence.
Maks updates fans after no-show on 'DWTS'
"Thank you, Alan Bersten, for doing a great job stepping in for me.....again! #DWTS You're definitely relieved of your duty starting this week," he captioned his photo with Vanessa Lachey.
Maks Chmerkovskiy later edited the original post and deleted the last part of his caption, which has left the fans to question his return next week.
The pro, however, expressed his excitement to retake the dance floor with Vanessa Lachey in a tweet on Tuesday.
The two-time "Dancing with the Stars" runner-up has yet to comment on his alleged conflict with his partner since the rumors came out. The same goes for former beauty queen who did not talk about her partner's absence in the pre-taped scenes of the dance program.
Vanessa Lachey earned herself 23 out of 30 points for her performance of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with Alan Bersten for the "Guilty Pleasures Night" on Monday. The pair ranked third with Drew Scott and Emma Slater who showcased an Argentine tango set of "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
