Dancing With the Stars dancer Artem Chigvintsev is opening about how the Russia-Ukrainian conflict is impacting him personally.
Chigvintsev, who is originally from Russia and still has family living in the country, took to his Instagram Stories this week to express his thoughts and to acknowledge why he’s been silent in recent weeks as news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to unfold.
“This hasn’t been easy to write and really gather my thoughts on the devastating situation that’s been happening right now in Ukraine,” the dancer began. “I want to make very clear to everyone that I don’t support war of any kind. It’s devastating to see people die and suffer the costs.”
“I do have family and friends on both sides, Ukraine and Russia,” he continued. “And this situation [is] directly effecting me so please don’t assume that I’m ignorant about it. I promise that I’m doing my best to support and donate to the organization that helping right now.”
Chigvintsev, who is currently engaged to former WWE superstar Nikki Bella, with whom he shares 1-year-old son Matteo, also spoke about why he’s waited to speak publicly about the ongoing conflict.
“Just because People don’t post about it doesn’t mean they don’t care there are many ways you can help,” Chigvintsev explained. “I also want to add that no one owes an explanation to anyone, about how they process and how they deal with it.”
He concluded, “The thought of me not being able to see my mom, dad and brother are very real, the thought of my son need be able to be held by my parents are also very real.”
Chigvintsev isn’t the only DWTS pro to speak about the atrocities happening in Ukraine.
Maks Chmerkovskiy, a native of Ukraine who happened to be in the country at the onset of the Russia invasion, has been outspoken in recent weeks about the conflict.
He even documented his escape from the capital city of Kyiv back home to his family in Los Angeles, which he said included an arrest.
This week, he confirmed that he is making plans to return to Europe.
“I’m currently working on an opportunity to go back, and so probably some time next week I’m gonna go back to Poland and join the efforts on the ground,” he told CNN’s Anderson Cooper last weekend. “And so [I] sort of wanna justify my safe out that way.”
In an earlier interview with Good Morning America on Friday, Chmerkovskiy noted that the whole thing had taken an emotional toll.
“I’m still very much in that fight or flight,” he said. “I’m a big boy. I know for a fact that I’m going through something mentally… I get into these cry moments. I’m emotional. I can’t control it. I cried on the way from the airport. I felt embarrassed.”
The dancer also acknowledged that being a famous face saved him when he was arrested.
“It’s not like I was going to get shot,” he said. “I was going to probably get put somewhere where I sit until the figure out who I am and check my identity. I would have been fine. But I felt like things got real. All of a sudden I don’t have actually all of the things needed to feel safe in place at all. I’m not built for this at all. I realize I’m not in the place where I should be.”
