Maks Chmerkovskiy takes responsibility for missing dance with Vanessa Lachey

There’s drama on the dance floor! Dancing with the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy left his celebrity partner Vanessa Lachey stranded this week when he failed to show up for their Guilty Pleasures-themed performance on Oct. 2. Alan Bernsten stepped in as his replacement, but the mystery remains: what is going on between the two?

During the episode – which saw some super creative dance pieces – hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews announced that Maks, 37, wouldn’t be performing due to “personal issues.” The Ukrainian dancer has since said that he’s eager to return to the ballroom with Vanessa, 36, despite rumours they aren’t getting along. A source told People that both Vanessa and Maks have big, clashing personalities and have been “bickering” since they began their partnership.

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The father of one took to social media to apologize for missing the performance, writing, “As you are all aware, I had to leave the show last week to take care of some personal issues. I take full responsibility for my absence and want to apologize to my partner Vanessa. We are both looking forward to dancing for our fans next week!”

Their spouses, Peta Murgatroyd and Nick Lachey, are also competing this season and have yet to comment on Maks and Vanessa’s working relationship.

Another insider told People that the rumours surrounding the pair are just that, rumours. “Maks and Vanessa are a team and completely support each other 100 percent. They are so friendly backstage and are great to work with. You can tell they are genuinely enjoying themselves and are here to have a good time.” Only time will tell if the dancing duo will be able to squash any issues they have to concentrate on taking home the mirror ball trophy.