‘Dancing With the Stars’ Alum Maks Chmerkovskiy Gets Arrested in Ukraine

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is going to start leaving his home country of Ukraine after being arrested amid the Russian invasion of his home country. The Dancing With the Stars alum, 42, took to Instagram Monday to share that after a “reality check,” he was beginning to make his way to the border. Chmerkovskiy didn’t go into the circumstances surrounding his arrest but assured his followers that he was still safe.

“The streets are crazy. At one point I got arrested but again all good, promise,” he said in a video. “That was probably the least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned, but for me, it was just a reality check.” Chmerkovskiy then reassured people not to panic if he “disappears for a while” while he tries to exit Ukraine. “I’m going to try and make my way out. I’m going to start making my way towards the border. I have options. Just a little nervous but I think it’s going to be alright. I know it’s going to be okay,” he said.

Sunday, Chmerkovskiy checked in with his followers from “the safest place I can find” as he emotionally pleaded with followers to speak out against the Russian invasion. “I’m starting to not be able to just sort of keep my head,” the professional dancer said at the time. “I’m trying to stay focused and try to let my voice be heard.”

Thursday, the Ukraine-born dancer revealed he was sheltering amid the crisis. “I know who this country is, what it represents, what it stands for. And it’s completely not what is being portrayed to the Russian people in order to justify this invasion,” he said. “I’m going to try and keep you guys updated and show you what it’s really like, but the reality is it’s exactly what it looks like on TV.

That same day, Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Peta Murgatroyd asked her followers to pray for her husband. “I don’t usually ask these things from my social media network, however today is extremely hard and the next few will be even harder,” she wrote on social media. “My pain is overwhelming and I’m struggling, but you sending your positive light and love to him would mean the world to me. Truly, I wish for nothing more.”