Ballroom Romance
8 ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Couples Who Broke Up Outside the Ballroom
Dancing With the Stars partners have to get very close when competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. From the grueling rehearsals to the nerve-wracking live performances, there has to be a great amount of trust between the dancers.
Every season since the show’s inception, there have been one or two DWTS showmances. While many of the relationships have stood the test of time outside the ballroom, plenty of couples have broken up once the season’s over. Most of the DWTS romances have been between pros and their partners. However, there have been a few pros who found love with each other and later split.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of Dancing With the Stars, Swooon is taking a look back at the ballroom romances that ultimately didn’t last. From Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko‘s most recent relationship (and split) to the breakup between pros Emma Slater and Sasha Farber, these are the Dancing With the Stars couples who didn’t win the mirrorball trophy of love with each other.
Brooks Nader & Gleb Savchenko
Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko‘s romance started after they were paired up during Dancing With the Stars Season 33. Their flirtatious dynamic was a hot topic as the show aired. They first split up in October 2024, but they gave their relationship a second chance. They broke up for good in April 2025 after Savchenko’s alleged infidelity.
Derek Hough & Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough were partnered up during Season 6 of Dancing With the Stars. They dated for a year after the season ended. Elizabeth and Hough announced their breakup with a joint statement: “Hi everyone, we wanted you all to know directly from us, that Shannon & I have decided to end our relationship as boyfriend & girlfriend… however, we love and care about each other very much and will remain friends and in eachothers lives.”
Hough is now married to fellow dancer Hayley Erbert. Elizabeth is married to Simon Borchert.
Mark Ballas & Sabrina Bryan
Season 5 partners Mark Ballas and Sabrina Bryan‘s incredible chemistry evolved into a romantic relationship. However, they only dated for a few months beyond the fifth season.
Since then, Ballas and Bryan have both moved on with new people. Ballas is married to BC Jean. Bryan wed Jordan Lundberg in 2018.
Karina Smirnoff & Mario Lopez
Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez finished in second place at the end of DWTS Season 3 and also found love together. After two years, their relationship came to an end in 2008. Lopez has been married to Courtney Mazza since 2012. They have three children.
Karina Smirnoff & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
The DWTS pros started dating shortly after her split from Lopez. They got engaged in 2009 after only six months of dating. Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy called off their engagement that same year, but they’ve remained cordial. Chmerkovskiy went on to marry DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd in 2017. They have three children.
Alexis Ren & Alan Bersten
Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten had all the DWTS fans talking. During their Season 27 run, Ren admitted that she was “developing feelings” for her partner. They broke up in December 2018 after just a few months of dating, citing difficulties with long distance.
Emma Slater & Sasha Farber
DWTS pros Emma Slater and Sasha Farber got engaged during a live show in 2016. They got married in 2018 but split in 2022. Slater filed for divorce in April 2023. She later revealed on The Viall Files podcast that their breakup was due to differences on when to start a family.
“It’s interesting because I do want to have kids, I just don’t want to delay Sasha’s path in having kids because I know that he is ready for that. I don’t want to talk about him too much because that’s really for him to say, but it’s about kids,” she said.
The exes have continued to work together on the show. Farber has been dating his Season 33 partner Jenn Tran, while Slater recently confirmed her relationship with fellow pro Alan Bersten.
Nikki Garcia & Artem Chigvintsev
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev were just friends when they were partners during Season 25 of DWTS. They didn’t start dating until after her split from John Cena. Garcia and Chigvintsev got engaged in 2019 and welcomed their son, Matteo, in 2020. They wed in 2022.
Chigvintsev was arrested in August 2024 on suspicion of domestic violence following a situation with Garcia. Criminal charges were ultimately not pursued. Garcia filed for divorce in September 2024, and they finalized their divorce two months later.
