Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy paid tribute to his former partner on the show Kirstie Alley, following her death.
On Monday, news broke that the Cheers actress had passed away at age 71.
Since then, tributes have been pouring in as those who knew the talented actress has been honoring her.
One of those people sharing a heartfelt message is Maksim, who Kirstie partnered with on Season 12 of DWTS.
They were reunited for Dancing with the Stars Season 15, which was considered an All-Star season.
Now in light of Kirstie’s passing, Maksim’s reflecting on his time with the actress and their friendship.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy honors his friend Kirstie Alley
Taking to Instagram earlier today, Maksim shared a throwback photo of him and Kirstie in the ballroom. Kirstie looked stunning in a grey dress that went over one of her shoulders, while Maksim had on pants and an open shirt revealing his bare chest.
The pro dancer wrote a heartfelt and emotional caption to honor Kirstie. Maksim admitted they had not spoken often, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love her.
“I want to say that I love you very much and I wish you the most peaceful rest,” he wrote. “You were one of the most unique people I have ever met and easily one of the brightest moments of my personal and professional life.”
Maksim went on to talk about their friendship being documented. However, only a few truly know about it, with the dancer referring to it as a “wild rollercoaster.”
Memories of their time together flooded Maksim as he wrote the tribute, sharing that thoughts about Kristie’s wild ways made him tear up.
“I can’t help but smile because I remembered exactly what you wanted me to say at your funeral. Don’t think I can do it here…I thought you’d be around forever. I wish we spoke often. Thank you for everything. I love you Kirstie Alley,” he ended his tribute.
DWTS Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley falling out
As mentioned above, Maksim and Kirstie met in 2011 on Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars. However, in 2016 Maksim revealed that he was no longer allowed to be friends with the actress.
Although he didn’t go into detail, in an interview with Us Weekly, Maksim alluded to his friendship with Leah Remini being the reason for his fallout with Kirstie.
It’s no secret that Leah has been speaking out against Scientology, to which Kirstie remained a loyal member until her death. Kristie and Leah were embroiled in a feud for years over Scientology.
Kirstie and Maksim also had a social media disagreement over the war in Ukraine earlier this year with him calling her out over a social media statement. Maksim kept it classy as he made sure to get his point across.
Whatever happened between Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley, the pro-dancer still had nothing but love for the actress. Like so many, he’s morning the Look Who’s Talking star and used social media to honor the woman he considered his friend.
Dancing with the Stars is currently on hiatus on Disney+.