Karina Smirnoff

Karina Smirnoff is a five-time U.S. National Champion ballroom dancer. She was a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars from 2006 to 2016 and returned to the series alongside many of her former peers on season 32 for a tribute performance in memory of late DWTS judge Len Goodman. Smirnoff also appeared as a dance instructor in the 2004 film Shall We Dance? starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Stanley Tucci.

Smirnoff was previously engaged to fellow DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy in 2009, moving on with MLB pitcher Brad Penny following their split. She and Penny were engaged from 2010 to 2011. Four years later, Smirnoff was briefly engaged to entrepreneur Jason Adelman. Smirnoff gave birth to her first child, Theo Gabriel, with boyfriend Justinas Duknauskas in 2020.