Maksim Chmerkovskiy Says ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Recognition Helped Him Escape Ukraine

Dancing pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy said in a recent interview with Good Morning, America that his Dancing with recognition helped him escape from Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Chmerkovskiy was In Ukraine when the conflict began and has been documenting the ordeal on social media. According to Chmerkovskiy, his celebrity status got him out of a scrape when he broke curfew in Kyiv.

“They’re like, ‘Passport.’ I pull out my American passport. He starts speaking English with me. I’m like, ‘I speak Russian.’ Then I regretted saying that. I thought maybe it was wrong,” Chmerkovskiy explained. “Then the guy next to him goes, ‘Oh, that’s the judge from Dancing With the Stars. That’s Maks. I know him. He’s from TV.’ He goes, ‘Get inside. Right now.’”

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While Chmerkovskiy believes that he “would’ve been fine,” his name definitely saved him from being detained. “It’s not like I was going to get shot. I was going to get probably put somewhere where I can sit until they figure out who I am and check my identity, whatever it is. It would’ve been fine,” he said. “But I felt like things got real and all of a sudden I don’t actually have all of the things needed to feel safe in this place at all. I’m not built for this at all. I’m just realizing that I’m not in a place where I should be.”

According to the dancer, his recent time in Ukraine was “surreal” and unnerving. “This is a country and the country’s on fire. It was very difficult to process for me. We’re used to fly out, do some stuff, experience some things, and always fly back. Here I am, I’m unable to fly home,” he said. “That, to me, was the biggest sort of moment of understanding, ‘You’re in trouble.’”

He also detailed a “horrible” ordeal at the train station. “It’s horrible. I realized after we took off… that all the people that didn’t get in have to now sleep right there in that train station. It’s not heated. It’s just a giant building. It’s cold. There are kids everywhere,” he said. “… I’m dying inside because this is still very emotional stuff for me. There are kids everywhere. Babies everywhere. It’s negative, the temperature.”

Chmerkovskiy also admitted to feeling shame over his privileged status. “I’m still very much in that fight or flight. I’m a big boy. I know for a fact I’m going through something mentally. I know for a fact because I get into these cry moments, I’m emotional. I can’t control it,” he said. “I cried on the way from the airport. I felt embarrassed. I felt embarrassed the entire ride back because I was the only man on the train amongst all women and children… I feel guilty. I feel bad. I feel ashamed. I feel upset.”