DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba reunites with Artem | TV Shows

Carrie Ann Inaba reunited with former Dancing With the Stars professional Artem Chigvintsev, almost 20 years after they ended a romantic relationship, as rumors the previous professional may return to the show continue to heat up.

The Dancing With the Stars judge, 58, reunited with the Season 29 Mirrorball champ, whom she dated for almost three years until 2009, which she chronicled on Instagram. The two last appeared together on the ABC show after Season 32.

The reunion comes following Inaba’s health, prompting hypothesis about her own involvement with the show forward of Season 35, and as rumors about Chigvintsev probably returning also heat up.

In the image, Inaba poses and smiles with the 44-year-old Russian dancer, both carrying black outfits at the world premiere of Tango Elite: The Show.

“A little of life lately,” she captioned the photographs.

The reunion got here after Chigvintsev was ousted from the show, as effectively as countless rumors over the seasons that Inaba was an unjust judge when it got here to her ex’s routines, particularly with Bachelorette associate Kaitlyn Bristowe.

“I think it’s hysterical. You know what I love though? This is what I love about the Bachelor fans and Bachelorette fans. They can create a story around it!” she said back in 2020. “It’s weird because I totally understood what they were doing. They’re like, ‘There’s jealousy there and there’s this and that’ because that’s what the Bachelor and Bachelorette is all about, right? It’s about creating stories about everybody.”

Chigvintsev also spoke out about it at the time, defending her as effectively.

“Oh my goodness! It was so long ago. It was, like, 2008, we’re in 2020. That’s 12 years ago!” he said at the time. “I don’t think my previous relationship has anything to do with it, I’ll be honest with you, because she’s been judging me for the past however many seasons I was on the show…I don’t think it has anything to do with it. I think she just really was harsh in the sense that she saw so much more potential than what we’ve been delivering the past two weeks and she finally got things that she’s been wanting to see.”

The reunion also got here on the heels of followers speculating Chigvintsev may return to the show following his departure forward of Season 33, which got here at the same time as a home violence arrest in relation to an altercation with his now ex-wife, Nikki Garcia.

Though it was reported at the time that he was not anticipated to come back for the new season, even before his arrest (he was later cleared of all prices), followers have long attributed the temporary legal points to his ousting and questioned if he may return.

Fans fervently believed he was probably going to be back when he appeared in an Instagram video in June alongside Gleb Savchenko, Sasha Farber, Britt Stewart, and Emma Slater, as the 5 all carried out a routine together.

“Group chat came to life!” Farber captioned the clip.

“Whose that MAN in the back? It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane…it’s SUPERMAN Artemmmmmm!!!!!!” one individual commented, while a second wrote, “IS ARTEM BACK HE DESERVES IT SO MUCH!!!”

“When does the new DWTS with Arten begin? SO EXCITED,” a third said, while a fourth added, “yes bring back Artem and Sasha as pros!!!! I want them all the way to finale!! Vote Vote vote.”

“Artem is back! Omg so excited,” a fifth expressed.

Dancing With the Stars will verify its professionals and celeb forged on Good Morning America on Wednesday, September 2.