Heavy/Getty Maks Chmerkovskiy shares sweet moment with his grandma.
“Dancing with the Stars” veteran professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy was just in New York City for a few days to do press for “So You Think You Can Dance.” While there, he made a special visit to his grandmother. Later, the DWTS star took to social media to share an emotional message about his love for her and their visit.
Here’s what you need to know:
Maks Chmerkovskiy’s Grandmother Didn’t Recognize Him
On February 28, Chmerkovskiy shared a video from his visit with his grandmother on his Instagram page. The clip showed him sitting next to his grandmother as he visited. She was talking, and he kissed her on her forehead.
Sadly, Chmerkovskiy wrote, “She finally didn’t recognize me today.” The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro has shared previously that his grandmother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Chmerkovskiy explained, “I stopped by on my way to JFK. My dad told me this would be the case but I really wanted to have this moment with my babushka.”
He continued, “I went through my usual routine with her. I showed her all the pictures on my phone and just kept it purely visual.” Chmerkovskiy noted that his grandmother couldn’t remember enough to “connect on a personal level” with him during this visit.
However, she “Did insinuate that my wife is hot and kids [are] pretty because I made the right choice in spouse.” Chmerkovskiy got a kick out of that and admitted it was “The highlight of my day.”
Unfortunately, his grandmother couldn’t remember him as her grandson during this visit. He wrote the caption for his post while on the plane, flying out of New York City, and he admitted he was “tearing up on the plane and really sad” she didn’t remember him.
On a positive note, Chmerkovskiy shared, “She’s healthy and she looks great, and that’s the best news.” He added, however, “But now I really miss my grandma.” He encouraged his followers to “Go hug your loved ones.”
DWTS Fans Sent Chmerkovskiy Lots of Love & Support
Chmerkovskiy has shared emotional moments from visits with his grandmother before. In September 2023 he spent time with her and shared a lengthy recap of it on Instagram.
During that visit, Chmerkovskiy’s grandmother struggled to remember things. “When she remembers me her eyes change and she looks at me the way I remember her. And I start crying,” he shared. Her Alzheimer’s has progressed since then, it seems.
The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro received a lot of love and support on his new Instagram post.
Another former pro, Anna Trebunskaya, commented, “Oh that is tough… to see a loved one there in front of you and you know that’s it’s not fully them anymore. She felt your warmth and appreciated you being with her.”
“OMG the way U look at her with such kindness, heart warming n soo sad all at the same time,” a follower wrote.
“She’s loving you now in a different way. You are familiar to her by the sound of your voice & your presence. Believe me, I know, I’ve been through this with my mom,” added someone else.
“She still feels safe with you. That’s saying something even deeper [than] words. Sending hugs,” another follower shared.