Heavy/Getty Maks Chmerkovskiy talks about his brother's neck surgery.
Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy shared some details about his brother’s serious neck injury. In a recent Instagram post, Valentin Chmerkovskiy revealed that he had neck surgery back in 2023.
Val Chmerkovskiy didn’t share too many details about what happened to him, but his older brother shed some light on the injury and what Val went through.
“Val did have a massive situation where, right around the time when Rome was born, he had a really serious neck impingement that stemmed from his previous season … to where it was just ‘go, go, go’ and no rehab, and you kind of go on injured and whiplash, but kind of on the back burner because we’re trying to win here,” Maks Chmerkovskiy told Us Weekly.
Here’s what you need to know:
Val Chmerkovskiy Was Unable to Hold Rome
Val Chmerkovskiy stayed completely quiet about his injury and subsequent surgery. In fact, when he shared photos on social media, he simply captioned the post, “This time last year I went through some stuff.”
At the time of his surgery, Val and his wife Jenna Johnson had recently welcomed their first child; a son they named Rome.
“He had a nerve impingement that completely shut down one of his arms, and so he lost feeling in his arms. He lost all strength in his arm and now has a newborn that he can’t hold. … It was just a devastatingly, shockingly terrifying moment,” Maks Chmerkovskiy said.
At one point, Maks recalls wondering if his brother would ever even dance again. Of course, he did make a full recovery and not only competed on season 32 of “Dancing With the Stars,” but won the Mirrorball Trophy alongside Xochitl Gomez.
After their big win, Val took to Instagram to thank fans for voting.
“Thank you to everyone that supported us all season long. I hate to admit it but my little heart needed it. I love you guys and the messages I received all season long have truly made my heart so full. Thank you! A million times,” he wrote. At that time, the public was unaware of his neck surgery that happened several months earlier.
Fans Showed Val Chmerkovskiy Support After He Shared the Posts About His Neck Surgery
Shortly after Val Chmerkovskiy shared the news about his neck surgery, dozens of fans took to the comments section of his post to respond and show their support.
His wife, Johnson, who was by his side throughout the whole ordeal, also dropped two heart emoji.
“Going through that stuff is not fun, but often the price we pay when we have too much fun doing what we love! As a competitive skier, I am there with you,” one person wrote.
“Having seen you dance with such force and passion last year in person and watching you on DWTS I would Never guessed you had such a serious injury. Plus a new baby? Incredible,” someone else said.
“OMG Val! That would have been scary. Glad that you escaped neurological injury,” a third comment read.
“It gives others with this problem inspiration and hope. Thank you for sharing and continued good health. Love watching you dance and sharing your passions,” a fourth Instagram user added.
READ NEXT: Derek Hough Admits Heartbreaking Truth Amid Wife’s Health Emergency