This season on Dancing With the Stars, pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy has been partnered with former Glee star Heather Morris. For weeks, the couple has received a lot of criticism for Morris having a background in dance as a former backup dancer for Beyonce and contestant on So You Think You Can Dance. But, that isn’t the pair’s biggest hurdle. Unfortunately, in just the second week of the show, Chmerkovskiy suffered a leg injury during rehearsals and it was captured on video. See the footage above.
Chmerkovskiy appears to pull something in his calf muscle while dancing with Morris and now he must sit out tonight’s episode, with dancer Alan Bersten subbing in for him. Unfortunately, People reports that Chmerkovskiy could be out for a couple weeks. This kind of injury to a major fan favorite like Chmerkovskiy could cost Morris a lot of votes from viewers. When Derek Hough was injured, his partner Nastia Liukin didn’t last much longer in the ballroom.
Chmerkovskiy’s injury reportedly occurred yesterday on Sunday. After the mishap, Chmerkovskiy posted the following message on Instagram:
Sorry I was MIA. Tune in to @dancingabc today and all will be explained. Tough show for #teamMaksimumHeat and @heatherrelizabethh would have to hold it down for both of us. Please show her your love and support while I work on getting my ass back to the ballroom. #DidNotSeeThisComing #WillBeBackBetterThanEver
Heather Morris also posted about the sad news online, writing:
#todaystheday Im too sad @maksimc wont be on stage with me but my new partner @alanbersten and I are gonna make him proud Dont forget to vote!
As for Chmerkovskiy’s stand-in Alan Bersten, he appears to be very close to Maks and his brother Val. Valentin Chmerkovskiy is dancing with Fifth Harmony group member Normani Kordei on the show this season and he recently celebrated his birthday. Bersten posted some sweet words to Val on Instagram, gushing:
Happy birthday @iamvalc!! I’m proud to call you family. You inspire me to be the best I can be everyday. You show me that hard work and determination really does pay off! Hope all your wishes come true, and continue striving for greatness!
Heather Morris’ scheduled routine for tonight’s performance is the Jive to “Grown” by Little Mix.