Maksim Chmerlivskiy Talks DANCING WITH THE STARS Exit

The all-star cast for the upcoming season of ABC's DANCING WITH THE STARS was announced this morning with a significant name missing from the roster. Long-time professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy will not be returning for the next installment of the reality dance competition.

In a statement to fans, Chmerkovskiy wanted to "set the record straight" about his decision, commenting, "... to all of my amazing fans, I will unfortunately not be returning for this season of Dancing with the Stars. I've been a pro dancer on the show for about seven years now and am eager to explore other opportunities that have been made possible because of Dancing with the Stars. I'm going to take this time to dive into producing and acting, while fulfilling my sponsorship obligations."

He added, "A big thank you to all of my fans for your never-ending support. I also want to thank the entire cast and production of Dancing with the Stars."

Chmerkovskiy first appeared on the ABC series during the second season and has gone on to dance his way to the final round of competition four times, landing two runner-up and two third-place finishes. During Chmerkovskiy's last appearance, he was partnered with Kirstie Alley for a second time. The pair finished in seventh place.

Season 16 of Dancing premieres Monday, March 18 at 8/7c on ABC.