No matter how much we might wish otherwise, the fact still remains that Maks and Meryl are currently just friends. Theyre so comfortable with each other that their body language is screaming budding romance, but theyre still just friends.

Why did Maksim Chmerkovskiy leave DWTS?

Following the season 5 finale, Chmerkovskiy reportedly told TV Guide Magazine he would not be returning to the show, something he later told People Magazine he had announced his departure because of stress.