Despite being a constant high score magnet in the 25th season of "Dancing With the Stars" (DWTS), Vanessa Lachey and Maks Chmerkovskiy seem to have backstage chemistry issues.
Just three weeks in the new season of DWTS, co-host Erin Andrews said that the pro dancer will not be performing on stage for Monday's performance. Alan Bersten, who has already been eliminated, will be pitching in for the absent pro dancer.
"Maks is dealing with a personal issue so Alan is stepping in and dancing with Vanessa tonight," Andrews said in the show. After this announcement, fans started to think that Lachey's partner was suffering from a last minute injury or may have fallen to some kind of illness that will require the pro dancer to take some downtime at the very start of the new season. Lachey and Bersten performed a Jazz routine for that night's show.
However, this is not the first time the 37-year-old dancer from Ukraine had issues with a dance partner. Back in season 13, Chmerkovskiy was partnered with Hope Solo, which he called as the one person he could dislike from his past, present, and future.
Chmerkovskiy won season 18 when he was partnered with Olympic skater Meryl Davis. After coming out as the champions, the pro dancer said the Davis lets him to be creative with their performances.
DWTS reps said that Chmerkovskiy will be returning next week as Lachey's dance partner for the Most Memorable Year episode. This immediately shut down the rumor that Lachey and Chmerkovskiy are having chemistry problems. A big factor in winning the reality competition is to actually work with each other. The show's scoreboard showing their names on top of the list proved that the rumored dissonance of the Lachey and Chmerkovskiy duo was just a rumor.
After the show, Chmerkovskiy posted on Instagram a photo from the performance extending his gratitude to Bersten for filling up for him that night.
