DWTS’ Peta Murgatroyd and Maks Chmerkovskiy Share Baby Boy’s Name and First Photo

Dancing with the Stars’ Peta Murgatroyd and Maks Chmerkovskiy shared a photo of their baby boy along with his name in a sweet Instagram post. The newest addition joins older brother Shai.

By Alexandra Bellusci Jun 21, 2023 11:41 PMTags
Watch: DWTS' Peta Murgatroyd & Maksim Chmerkovskiy Welcome Baby No. 2

Peta Murgatroyd and Maks Chmerkovskiy's newborn hit his cue.

So much so, that the baby boy made his entrance into the world just in time for Father's Day. The couple is now ready to celebrate their son, born June 18, by sharing his name and first photo with the world.

"Rio John Chmerkovskiy," the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post June 21. "Born~6.18.2023. 8.6 oz and thriving!"

The caption continued, "We are overjoyed to share our baby boy with all of you."

They noted that their son Shai, 6, "is already the best big brother and we all feel very complete. Life is good XO."

The post accompanied a photo of baby Rio lying with his eyes closed and sporting a beige outfit with a matching beanie and pacifier.

As for how the Dancing With the Stars pros landed on the moniker?

"We loved Rio, which we came upon at the last minute," Peta, 36, told People June 21. "It's a perfect complement to our long surname!"

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Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd's Italian Honeymoon

Giving a nod to their firstborn son, the dancer added, "We also wanted something easy to say with Shai."

And when it came to Rio's middle name, Peta paid tribute to her late father, Derek John, who died in December 2022.

Maks, 43, first announced Rio's birth on Instagram June 18, captioning a snap of himself holding his baby, "Happy Father's Day to me! #MadeInPeta." 

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Needless to say, they're all jazzed up about their newest addition. After all, the pair have wanted to grow their families for years. In fact, when Peta revealed her pregnancy back in January, she took a moment to touch on her experience with fertility issues.

"It brings me immense joy to finally announce that @maksimc and I are expecting our Chmerkovskiy #2," Peta captioned the Instagram photos of her baby bump. "After 2 years of constant struggle and heartache, 3 miscarriages and a failed embryo transfer…we have a healthy bun in the oven :)) It was a shock to all of us and we found out right before I was going in for my second round of IVF."

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She also gave thanks to her followers who have supported her through her pregnancy journeys.

"I want to thank ALL OF YOU who've been on this fertility journey with me from the beginning," Peta added. "It feels like I'm sharing this news with my extended family. Thank you for sharing your stories and tips to get me through my IVF cycle and thank you for the plethora of encouraging comments and DM's …I read them all."

Later that month, Peta gave a shoutout to her husband of six years, who always knew this day would come.

"Maks just truly believed this would happen how it did," Peta exclusively told E! News Jan. 28. "He was always like, 'You're just going to get pregnant when you're not stressed, when you're happy, when everything is good."