Maksim Chmerkovskiy Reunites With Wife Peta After Returning Home To U.S.

By Sarah Tate

March 3, 2022

Photo: Getty Images

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is back in the U.S. days after fleeing Ukraine during Russia's invasion of his home country.

The 42-year-old Dancing with the Stars pro arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday (March 2), Entertainment Tonight reports. The outlet also managed to capture his emotional reunion with wife Peta Murgatroyd. The short clip finds Chmerkovskiy walking through the airport after arriving back in America before Murgatroyd runs over and into his open arms for a long embrace. Their reunion can be seen here.

Chmerkovskiy, who said he was arrested prior to leaving Kyiv, previously documented his "traumatizing" trek out of Ukraine, boarding a packed train to Poland that he called "sweaty and claustrophobic." Despite the trauma he and many others have gone through, and continue to experience, he said he doesn't want it to affect how he feels to be back home.

"I just don't want to resent peace somewhere else because of what I just saw, that's the reality," the Ukrainian-born dancer told ET. "I don't know really what to say right this second."

While stuck in Kyiv during the invasion, Chmerkovskiy shared stories of what was happening in the streets and how Ukrainians have stepped up to defend their country. He told reporters, "The reason why Ukraine is standing right now is because of the Ukrainian people... And the fact that the entire world is helping."

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