Episode Overview

Podcast: Outta Pocket with RG3
Hosts: Robert Griffin III (A), Grete Griffin (B)
Guests: Maksim Chmerkovskiy (C) & Peta Murgatroyd (D), Ukrainian superstar dancers and “Dancing with the Stars” pros
Date: May 28, 2025
Episode Theme:
A candid, wide-ranging conversation about the backstage realities and emotional dynamics of “Dancing with the Stars,” the challenges and misconceptions surrounding professional dance partnerships, and a deeply personal account of Maks and Peta’s experiences during the Ukraine war, including surviving separation, trauma, and reflections on politics, resilience, and family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. “Dancing with the Stars” Behind the Scenes

• Partnership Challenges & Drama

  • Both Maks and Peta are asked about their most difficult celebrity partners.
    • Maks: Describes a no-nonsense, highly competitive approach early in his career, leading to personality clashes:
      “I would look at my partner and be like, excuse me, do me a favor. I don't know you, you don't know me…for now, please don't speak for a couple hours. And they'd be looking at me like, what?” (01:18)
    • His most public clash was with Hope Solo:
      “My public clashes were with people like Hope Solo. You know, we just did not get along…Maybe this was not the right type of partnership.” (03:00)
  • Peta: She couldn’t name names, but describes a disrespectful partner who put in minimal effort due to external relationship issues:
    “He would give me, like, sometimes an hour and a half a day…there's a certain level of like, real disrespect when that happens. When I'm putting everything that I got into training you and…you give me fucking nothing.” (04:29)

• Dance as Intimacy & Performance

  • The hosts ask about the sensuality inherent in dance and the potential for offscreen relationships.
    • Peta: “As a professional dancer, my job…in the rumba, in the tango…you have to convey in that one minute and a half, like you're really into that person…It's acting. And it's hard for the wives.” (07:37)
    • Both guests clarify that while chemistry must be sold to the audience, it’s strictly professional for them.
    • Maks recounts: “There’s nothing sexy about this process. I’m trying to teach you the cha-cha—we’re stressed!” (25:37)

• Relationship Dynamics & Jealousy

  • Hosts and guests discuss how watching a significant other dance closely with another person on TV (or act in movies) can cause real-life emotional challenges.
    • Grete: “Do you not know Eastern European women? I will murder him…for him to watch me with another man…I just don’t know how I'm gonna go home after that and be like, oh, hey baby, wanna have sex?” (13:57)
    • Maks, after witnessing Peta act in a makeout scene: “I was such a—I was like, I'm a European female right now. Like, I will slash somebody tires.” (15:06)

• Dealing With Public Perception & Social Media

  • Peta shares how even innocent moments (like being picked up in a dance) have led to public criticism:
    “I got so much from, you know, other women, like, how dare you wrap your legs around a married man?” (27:56)
  • Maks: “The comments—it’s a non-existent entity to me…someone sitting in the privacy of their domain and have an opinion and get to express it.” (33:11)
  • Both discuss how social media magnifies scrutiny and pressure on relationships and performances.

• The Reality for Pros

  • Both emphasize the professional boundaries and hard work behind the scenes, and how manufactured “showmances” rarely last.
    Maks: “The show is not about dance. The show is about skeletons in your closet and how that progresses through the show…It exposes you.” (24:22)

Memorable Quotes:

• “People need a little milk with their tea, you know what I mean?” — Maks (02:55)
• “There were women that would join Dancing with the Stars and…see this tall, dark, weird sounding, handsome (guy)…” — Maks (24:46)

2. Maks & Peta’s Relationship and Family Moments

• Relationship Q&A (“TikTok segment”)
  • Playful, quick-fire questions about their relationship:
    • Who’s the better dancer? Both point to each other (35:15)
    • Who spends more money? Amazon is blamed (36:07)
    • Who’s more protective? Both discuss fiercely defending the family (37:00)
    • Who’s more annoying? Peta wins unanimously (37:48)
  • Lighthearted banter about cleaning, money, love—showing their chemistry and humor.

3. Surviving the War in Ukraine

• Maks’ Harrowing Experience
  • Maks describes being trapped in Ukraine as the war broke out, filming "World of Dance" while bombs started to fall.
  • The emotional toll of being separated from Peta and the kids for over a week, hiding in bomb shelters, and making a dangerous escape via Poland: “To see a bunch of dancers, you know, change shoes and go straight to front line, and some of them are not coming back…and we know their names, it's devastating.” (38:24) “I spent that week and a half with a backpack…That was a nightmare…me and all women and children…The feeling is awful.” (45:03) “I got to wash my underwear or something. And I remember…then the siren goes and we have to all grab our shit and run out. And so I was like, damn, I'm never washing the shit again.” (45:30)
  • Peta shares the trauma of not knowing if Maks would survive, while she suffered multiple miscarriages during their separation: “There were nights where he would call me and say…‘I have to turn off all the lights, I have to turn off my phone…I don't know what's gonna happen to me…don't call me…’” (44:35)

Notable Moment:

• Both become emotional recounting these events, highlighting the long-lasting psychological and relational impact of war on families and communities.

• Reflections on the Broader Human Cost

  • Maks laments the damage to Ukraine’s creative and youthful generations:
    “Ukraine is not winning anything…Half of the country is injured, half of the youth is injured. You're talking about a whole generation of people missing limbs…athletes are dying, stars are dying…” (41:38)
  • They highlight the resilience and need for international support, the challenges for displaced Ukrainians, and gratitude for those who help.
  • Grete adds a global perspective, sharing how her own Estonian mother now teaches Ukrainian refugee children—children who struggle to integrate and may never have a “home” as they once knew. (42:51)

4. American Views, Political Narratives, and Global Ramifications

• What Americans Misunderstand About Ukraine

  • Maks addresses misconceptions, gratitude for US aid, and the disconnect felt by Americans due to distance:
    “Without America, a lot of good wouldn't happen in the world…it’s far away…we don't feel it, allows us to have dialogue, to help, to raise funds…” (49:45)
  • He highlights the humanity and selflessness of everyday Americans who volunteer and help.
  • Warns that the conflict is not isolated—impacts are felt (and feared) throughout Europe, especially neighboring countries like Estonia, Finland, Poland. (52:01)

• Pride & Perspective as Immigrants

  • Maks describes his father’s decision to leave the Soviet Union for a better life and his own loyalty to the US:
    “If you complained about this country, you have never been outside…I'm the it's number one fan. This is the best place on earth, no matter what you think of it. And if you don't think it, go travel…” (54:00)

• Final Reflections

  • Emotional praise for Ukraine’s resilience, and the example set by president Zelensky. “Like, I don't need a ride, I need ammunition. I fuck, I'm getting emotional. But this is not someone who's an actor who says that. This is someone who believes in what they say.” (55:40)
  • Hope for the future and pride in their roles as parents, partners, and advocates.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dancing with the Stars: Partnership Drama: 01:00 – 05:30, 25:36 (Kirstie Alley anecdote)
• Intimacy & Jealousy in Dance: 05:39 – 24:00
• TikTok Couple Q&A: 35:04 – 37:51
• Ukraine War Experiences: 38:12 – 55:40
• Closing Reflections: 56:34 – End

Tone & Language

• Candid, humorous, raw: The episode moves from playful banter (relationship Q&A, Amazon jokes, “out of pocket” moments) to emotionally charged, vulnerable moments as Maks and Peta discuss trauma, war, and family separation.
• Real and heartfelt: The episode ends with gratitude for both American and Ukrainian resilience, and with a call for compassion, understanding, and continued support.

Memorable Quotes

• Maks: “I was such a—I was like, I'm a European female right now. Like, I will slash somebody tires.” (15:06)
• Peta: “He’d say, ‘Don’t call me because my phone’s going to light up and they can see…’ and I didn’t know if he was going to be alive the next day. I would just pray and hope...” (44:35)
• Maks (on dance): “There’s nothing sexy about this process. I’m trying to teach you the cha-cha—we’re stressed!” (25:37)
• Maks (on war): “Ukraine is not winning anything…You're talking about a whole generation of people missing limbs…” (41:38)
• Grete: “The fact that the whole world is so proud of Ukraine because…look how resilient Zelensky has been…” (55:21)

Summary

This riveting episode of Outta Pocket with RG3 offered a rare dual window—one into the competitive, emotionally charged backstage world of “Dancing with the Stars,” and another into the lived trauma and resilience of a Ukrainian-American family during wartime. Maks and Peta were unfiltered about the realities of dance partnership drama, the thin line between passion and professionalism, and the unique pressures of public perception. The episode’s most powerful moments come in their personal reflections on surviving the war in Ukraine, navigating trauma, loss, and the responsibilities of parenthood and legacy. Filled with laughter, honesty, and raw emotion, this episode delivers both the “outta pocket” energy its fans expect and a meaningful, timely meditation on love, sacrifice, and what connects us.