'Dancing With the Stars' Pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy Addresses Show Return Decision

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is not headed back to the ballroom, with the former Dancing With the Stars pro addressing his decision not to return to the ABC competition show while speaking to Us Weekly.

"I think there's a reason things have to come to an end," he said while promoting his partnership with TheraGun to donate 300 units to Disabled American Veterans on Monday, Dec. 3. "I don't understand why it has to be sad."

The dancer and his wife, Peta Murgatroyd, share son Shai, who is nearly 2 years old, and Chmerkovskiy noted that his family was a factor in his decision to step away from DWTS.

"I appreciate it and I would love to keep those connections and relationships with those people, so we're trying and working on things," he said. "But hey, I had to prioritize my family and [the] future of my family. It's no disrespect to any fan out there that's like, 'How could you?'"

Chmerkovskiy added, "That's not the point, like, enjoy the show, there's a lot of amazing dancing out there."

Murgatroyd is also a pro on DWTS, having gained a massive fan base during her time on the show.

"People are obsessed!" Chmerkovskiy proudly said of his wife.

Chmerkovskiy last appeared on Season 25 of DWTS where he was partnered with Vanessa Lachey. Prior to that, he appeared on Seasons 23 and 24 after had taking a break from the show after Season 18, which he won with partner Meryl Davis.

While he isn't on ABC's dance floor, Chmerkovskiy is still dancing, having recently wrapped up a national tour with his brother, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Murgatroyd.

"I'm looking for an opportunity to do another tour more so than anything else, because I'm already good business-wise. I just need that art, I guess, outlet," he said. "And then it's sort of, like, where you kind of look around and you're like, 'Life is amazing.'"

While the couple is clearly busy, Chmerkovskiy explained that taking time for themselves is key.

"[Peta's] time has to be about her, my time has to be about me. You have to satisfy that too, you can't be an unhappy person because you've literally just given up everything that you are up until now, cold turkey," he said. "I hate to be, not super dramatic, but it's not imprisonment. We don't hand over the keys to our happy life as single people once we become parents. The idea is to figure out how to take this and add onto it, add to it, you know?"

Photo Credit: Getty / Greg Doherty