Photo: Val Chmerkovskiy/Instagram; Maks Chmerkovskiy/Instagram
Maks ChmerkovskiyandVal Chmerkovskiyare two proud dads excited to see their family bonds deepening.
Speaking with PEOPLE about the changes to family favorite food chain Subway’s menu, theDancing with the Starspros and brothers opened up about how wonderful it’s been to see their wives flourish as mothers.
“Every day I see my wife as the mother that she is to our son has been the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her, and the most attracted I’ve ever been to her,” says Val, 37, who sharesson Romewith wife Jenna Johnson, 29. “So, it’s been very special.”
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Subway
The brothers — who, in addition to a love of wine and dancing also share a love of Subway sandwiches — are enjoying both being fathers.
“It felt like I was going to share a lot but now I’m just sort of watching, and as I see something that I need to say, I’ll say, but you know it’s been incredible to watch Jenna and Peta mother, and it’s been incredible to see that we are also in good hands, as husbands,” Maks says.
“We had moments of desperation through it all, so the fact that she is in the state that she’s in — it’s sort of like we blinked and here we are,” the soon-to-be dad of two shares. “It’s very surreal because it’s very, very fresh in my memory, the long nights and the trauma of our losses and all that stuff. So, you know, we are just blessed to be here having an incredible second time around.”
Acknowledging that Murgatroyd’s pregnancy with son Shai, now 6, was “incredible but stressful,” he adds, “It all feels different and super light and beautiful, like, ‘Wow, we really wished for it and now it’s here.'”
It’s also special for Maks to see Shai react to the pregnancy as it progresses.
Val is enjoying his own special time as a new dad, who jokes that while “tiresome,” fatherhood has been “really rewarding.”
“It’s our first child and it’s been an incredible challenge, but it’s been just wonderful and rewarding,” Val tells PEOPLE. “It’s brought my wife and I even closer together and it’s just a blessing. It’s a beautiful thing.”
At 4 months, Val says “every day is a milestone” with his little boy.
The brothers share that as immigrants to the United States from Ukraine in the 1990s, Subway — which announced the first update to its game-changing Subway Series menu since its debut in July 2022 — was a mainstay in their lives.
“It was the fuel that we needed between rehearsals, running from school to dance, from dance to school. Subway has always been a very special part of our time in New York. We created a lot of core memories that I carry with me, through my life,” Val says.
The Subway Series has been a hit with guests and franchisees over the last year, and now, the best lineup of sandwiches in Subway history is getting even better with four beloved Subway classics joining the Subway Series menu: the Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Italian B.M.T., Chicken & Bacon Ranch and Spicy Italian. The sandwiches feature changes that will make these fan favorites even more craveable.
From their upbringing in the Ukraine to their lives in the United States and all the experiences in between, the brothers are happy to share so much, and continue to do so as their families grow.
“That’s what family is supposed to be about. We’ve been raised in that type of spirit, to love and support each other and we have done so for all these years,” Maks says. “We want to pass that, as examples. We want to show that to our kids and be that for our families and for our kids.”
source: people.com
