Maksim Chmerkovskiy is opening up once again about his grandmother’s declining health, sharing an emotional message with fans as he continues to navigate one of the most difficult chapters of his life.
The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday, July 5, to post a heartfelt update alongside a photo of himself embracing his grandmother.
“She’s doing well. Still my grandma. Still looks like she’s about start singing her favorite song about Odessa. But she doesn’t anymore,” Chmerkovskiy wrote. “Mostly distant silence while I sit here trying to remember every word she ever said and fill in the blanks myself.”
Chmerkovskiy’s Heartbreaking Post
He continued with a heartbreaking admission that resonated with many of his followers.
“This is awful and I want her back,” he wrote before ending the message with a reminder to cherish loved ones while they can.
“Go hug your grandma.”
The update comes nearly two years after Chmerkovskiy first spoke publicly about watching his grandmother battle memory loss, admitting at the time that the experience had become almost impossible to put into words.
In September 2024, the dancer shared an emotional Instagram video after spending time with her. Fighting back tears, he explained why he wanted to provide one final update.
“Just got to spend some time with my grandma,” Chmerkovskiy, 44, said before pausing to collect himself.
“I decided to do [an update] just because we overshare nowadays and you’ve been on the journey with me and with my grandma and so it’s probably the last time I’m gonna talk about this,” he continued. “It’s a f— terrible thing to witness with your loved ones.”
Although he emphasized that she remained physically healthy, he revealed the devastating reality of her condition.
“She’s doing great. She’s in great health,” he said. “The whole process passed the point of any kind of … she is no longer able to recognize anything and this is very difficult for me. Honestly, making posts about it makes it worse at the moment.”
He captioned the post simply, “Babushka 💔,” using the Russian word for grandmother.
At the time, Chmerkovskiy told fans he did not expect to continue sharing updates, explaining that revisiting the situation publicly had become too painful.
Chmerkovskiy Moved to Florida
The emotional post comes during a period of major change for Chmerkovskiy and his family.
Last month, he and wife Peta Murgatroyd announced they had relocated from California to Florida with their children, calling it the start of a new chapter.
“Leaving behind the place we’d called home for so many years wasn’t easy, but sometimes the biggest leaps lead you exactly where you’re meant to be,” the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post shared on June 29.
“The happiness, the slower pace, the sunshine, watching our boys love every second of it… it’s everything we hoped for and more.”
They added, “Worth every box. Every goodbye. Every unknown,” alongside video of the family dancing together in their new backyard. “No looking back… only looking forward.”
Murgatroyd also shared a more emotional glimpse of the move, posting footage of the family driving away from their longtime Los Angeles home while wiping away tears.
“Something new is never easy,” she wrote. “There are tears you don’t expect, goodbyes that hit harder than you imagined, and moments where you wonder if you’re making the right decision.”
Now, even amid the excitement of a fresh start, Chmerkovskiy’s latest message serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of spending time with family—and holding onto the memories that remain.
