‘DWTS’ Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Praises Artem Chigvinstev On First Mirrorball Win: ‘What A Ride My Friend’

Dancing with the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy praised his fellow dancer Artem Chigvinstev on his first mirrorball win in a touching Instagram post. Along with his complimentary words, Val added several photos and videos to his post that featured his wife, who came in second this season, with Artem, as they spoke with one another at the close of the live show.

The first was a video of Jenna and Artem, both in masks, as she spoke to him after his victory. The second was a snap of Jenna hugging her friend. The final shot was a close-up of the two as they looked directly at one another on the set of the show. Behind them and underneath their feet, the floor was covered with gold confetti.

In the post seen here, Val penned a lengthy caption that referenced his years-long friendship with the new mirrorball winner.

He called Artem his “brother” at the beginning of his statement. He stated that as hard as it was seeing his wife lose her chance at a mirrorball trophy alongside her celebrity partner Nev Schulman, it was equally consoling to see him win.

Val wrote that one year earlier, it felt like a cruel ending to his friend’s tenure on the show, and just one year later, he was holding up the trophy.

“The universe does pay attention, and sometimes it makes things right.”

He congratulated Artem by validating his excellence and years of contribution to Dancing with the Stars and to his fellow pros. Val shared Artem had been a support system to him many times on the series when Val was filled with insecurity and pressure when he was the one “with a shot at it.” He said that Artem’s cool demeanor and encyclopedia of knowledge would step up and soothe the situation.

In closing, Val applauded Artem and hoped he felt how much the world loved him and how much their little touring and dancing collective loved him. He told him to bask in the moment because he earned it.

Nikki Bella, Artem’s finance whom he met on the set of DWTS when they were paired together during Season 25, was the first to add a comment to Val’s touching tribute.

“Oh, my heart right now. So beautiful!”

Cheryl Burke also shared a remark in the thread.

“Perfectly said and couldn’t be more true! Beautiful,” she stated.

“Your loyalty is unmatched. Love seeing a friendship this strong!!” penned a viewer of the series.

“Val, you are a class act, and apparently a great friend. Beautifully written words for Artem,” claimed a second follower.