Maksim and Valentin Chmerkovskiy have nothing but praise and admiration for their wives, who have been opening up about their experiences with pregnancy loss and fertility struggles in recent months. Maks’ wife Peta Murgatroyd, who is currently pregnant with the couple’s second child, has been transparent with her followers about their years of heartbreak following three miscarriages and failed embryo transfers. At the same time, Val’s wife Jenna Johnson just welcomed the couple’s first child, but later recounted experiencing their own pregnancy loss before their found success. “There’s a stigma to it that I’m very confused about why it exists. I shared my experience of how we struggled and how much pressure and stress that put on both of us, but a lot on my wife. And to my surprise, it was revealed to me that my best friends also struggled with the same,” Val admitted while chatting with HollywoodLife.com in an EXCLUSIVE interview.
“I think also the responsibility of being in a public eye and having access to so much exposure, you could help push this process along and end the stigma,” Maks added. “A lot of things are brushed under the rug and a lot of it is on the woman, which is also very unfair. Normalizing the fact that it’s normal to go through this process would definitely help all women, like Jenna and Peta. Had they been growing up in an environment where it’s spoken about and would’ve been reacted to differently, it would be less traumatic with less drama attached to it and less unknown.”
Maks admitted the “worst part of it” for he and Peta was the “unknown.” “The time…the years are going, the biological clocks are ticking and it’s not happening,” he recalled. “Time is fleeting and we were not able to help or fix it in that moment.” The former Dancing With The Stars pro praised his wife for being outspoken on her experience, calling it a “brave decision.” The pair most recently announced they will be expecting a baby boy, who will be born in June!
Maks and Peta are already the parents to 5-year-old Shai, and Val revealed that watching his brother navigate fatherhood the last several years has helped him as a new dad! “Seeing him navigate fatherhood has definitely taught me a lot…mostly what not to do,’ the DWTS pro joked. “No, it’s been a pleasure and he’s been so supportive.”
The brothers spoke to HL in partnership with Subway to help announced the first update to its game changing Subway Series menu since its debut in July 2022! This includes double cheese, two brand new sandwiches and new twists on four fan favorites from Subway’s culinary team. Sandwich lovers now have even more craveable Subway Series options easily ordered by name and number, bringing this star-studded selection of subs from 12 to 18. Maks and Val’s personal faves, the Italian B.M.T. and the Sweet Onion Teriyaki, also joined the menu but with some upgrades!
“It’s nostalgia and regardless of how far we’ve come in our careers, Subway continues to be a part of our lives,” Val gushed over the partnership, revealing Subway was the brothers’ choice of food while traveling as professional dancers growing up. “The is kind of like a pinch me moment to be able to collaborate with Subway, and we’re very honored that they brought us on to celebrate their Subway Series and the sandwiches that are now being upgraded to their Subway Series, which include our two favorites.”