Hollywood has been mourning once again after Cheers vet Kirstie Alley passed away following a colon cancer diagnosis. Many actors and friends of the Scream Queens star have been paying tribute, from Ted Danson to John Travolta and beyond. Now, Dancing with the Stars vets Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Tom Bergeron are joining in.
The Dancing With the Stars pro was Kirstie Alley’s partner for two seasons, ending the 12th season as the runner-ups and were also on the All-Stars edition during Season 15 and were the seventh pair to go home. Maksim Chmerkovskiy took to Instagram to share a lengthy and introspective Instagram post detailing their sometimes tumultuous roller coaster of a friendship, saying he wished he had more time with her.
According to E! News, the pair drifted apart after they competed on the dancing competition together, but it looks like no matter what happened between the two, Kirstie Alley will forever hold a place in Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s heart. And as noted in his post, he’s hopeful they will be reunited again someday in a spiritual sense, and believes there will be a sense of peace should it ever happen.
Meanwhile, former DWTS host Tom Bergeron also took the time to share a loving tribute to the beloved actress. Bergeron also took to Instagram for his own sweet memory of Kirstie Alley, which involved an unscripted, congratulatory kiss during the premiere of Dancing With the Stars’ All-Star season, the night after he'd won the Emmy for Outstanding Host.
While it was a short moment, it’s nice that Tom Bergeron has this memory with him forever, and not only in his mind but also archived forever online. It’s a sweet memory that, despite happening ten years ago, has not completely left Bergeron's memories, and it likely won't ever, especially now. And who knows how many more memories he made with Kirstie Alley off-screen?
Kirstie Alley was among the many A-listers part of the cast for Season 12 of Dancing With the Stars, alongside Ralph Macchio, Wendy Williams, and Chelsea Kane, just to name a few. She came back just a few seasons later to compete on the All-Stars seasons, which included Drew Lachey, Shawn Johnson, Pamela Anderson, and Joey Fatone. Even though it was a while since Alley was on the series, she obviously had not left the vets and made a permanent mark.
Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars has yet to land a premiere date on Disney+, but it wouldn’t be surprising if there was a tribute to Kirstie Alley in some way. Maksim Chmerkovskiy left the series as a pro after Season 25, but it’s possible he could return to the Disney+ series as a special guest if there were to be a tribute to his former partner.
No matter the relationships, Kirstie Alley touched many lives, friends, and fans. Thanks to the magic of television and film, her memory will live on forever. Our condolences to her loved ones and everyone that adored her.
