ABC A Mirrorball Trophy winner is mourning the death of a family member.
“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd is still dealing with the recent death of her father, Derek Murgatroyd, who died on December 29 in her native country of Australia.
Peta Murgatroyd Posted a Photo of Her Son Shai & Wrote That Her Heart is ‘Grieving’
On Instagram on December 29, Murgatroyd revealed that her father had died. A few days later, she posted a photo of her 6-year-old son Shai on the beach and wrote that while she is still “grieving,” her son is “soothing” to her soul.
Murgatroyd wrote:
Collecting shells with my favorite boy this morning… soul is soothing… heart is grieving. My dad’s biggest love was the sea.
Happy New Year everyone.
In the comments, Murgatroyd’s “Dancing With the Stars” family left her messages of love and support. Her husband, fellow “Dancing With the Stars” pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy wrote, “Love you guys.”
Former pro Kym Johnson Herjavec added, “Sending you lots of love.”
“Thinking of you and sending prayers,” wrote Alfonso Ribeiro’s wife Angela.
Pro Koko Iwasaki and contestant Amanda Kloots also left heart emojis for Murgatroyd’s loss.
Peta’s Dad Always Called Her His ‘Darling Baby Girl’
When he died, Murgatroyd wrote a tribute that said she hoped she had made him proud and that she will love him “until the 12th of never.”
Murgatroyd wrote:
To The Greatest Dad, my teddy bear.
This is the end of our ride earth side. Oh how I wish we could take this boat trip again. In the next life we will.
This glance to each other was perfectly captured, you were so content, at sea where you were always meant to be.
I know though that you will continue to ride with me until I see you again.
I hope I made you proud these 36 years. You were my everything and I will miss you until my days here are done.
I will hold the warmth of your hand in my heart forever.
She finished the post by writing, “Always your ‘darling baby girl,’ as you would say. I love you until the 12th of never. Forever Daddy’s Girl. Derek John Murgatroyd 22/7/1941 ~ 29/12/2022.”
She did get to see him one last time before he died. On December 10, Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy revealed on their social channels that she had flown back to Australia to see her father and spend time with her family.
“I’m leaving to Australia tonight, “I have to deal with some stuff in Australia with my dad, so I’m going for a week,” Murgatroyd said during an Instagram live Q&A.
Murgatroyd did not get into what was ailing her father, but in May 2022 she did share with her followers that her father is sick with an illness she did not disclose.
“I flew to Australia to be with my family. Sorry, I’ve been MIA, I just don’t have it in me to be on here right now. My dad isn’t doing the best, so I just want to spend every minute with him, and of course, my mother and brother,” she said on her Instagram stories.
Murgatroyd and her father were obviously close. On Father’s Day 2020, she posted a tribute to him on Instagram with a series of photos of them together and she captioned it, “I love you so much. You mean the world to me. Happy Father’s Day to the best dad and one who always showed me love and guidance through kindness and selflessness. I can’t wait to see you again.”