Karina Smirnoff left Dancing With the Stars after season 22 in pursuit of other opportunities — and she’s still thriving.
Smirnoff was cast as a pro dancer for 2006’s season 3, where she was paired with Saved by the Bell alum Mario Lopez. The pair finished in second place, leading Smirnoff to secure a regular place in the cast lineup year after year.
The choreographer finally won her first and only mirrorball trophy during 2011’s season 13 alongside J.R. Martinez. Smirnoff left the show five years later.
“Many of you have been asking if I will be back for season 20 of DWTS and I wanted all of my incredible family to hear it directly from me,” Smirnoff wrote via Instagram in February 2015. “After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve decided to focus my energies on some other exciting endeavors including adding author to my resume.”
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She continued, “I have absolutely loved dancing for all of you for all these years and feel blessed to have been given a platform to put my passion for dance, choreography, and creativity on display. DWTS has been a huge part of my life for the last 10 years and I will always have a special place in my heart for it.”
Smirnoff published her debut book, We’re Just Not That Into You: Dating Disasters From the Trenches, that same month before eventually coming out of ballroom retirement. Smirnoff competed on DWTS seasons 21 and 22, where she was partnered with jockey Victor Espinoza and NFL alum Doug Flutie, respectively. Smirnoff left the show for good after her and Flutie’s elimination in ninth place. (She briefly returned with a slate of other OG pros for a special tribute to late head judge Len Goodman during season 32 in 2023.)
While Smirnoff has found new life outside of the DWTS ballroom, she hasn’t sashayed away from the dance floor completely. The performer often teaches masterclasses and dance intensives across the globe.
“I’ve been judging quite a lot, and I have couples that I lead,” she said during a rare interview with San Francisco’s KRON 4 in June 2025. “It’s a very competitive world, so everyone wants to enjoy when they dance [but] they also want to win. … But, it is a happy atmosphere. Once the music is on, all the competition goes to the side and people just truly enjoy dancing.”
In addition to Smirnoff’s coaching endeavors, she’s a doting mom to son Theo. (Smirnoff, who gave birth to her only child in 2020, has never disclosed the identity of Theo’s father.)
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Shortly after Theo’s birth, Smirnoff told Us Weekly that first-time parenthood was a big adjustment.
“I love babies, but when I would come to my friends who had a newborn and they were like, ‘Here, hold,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, how do I?’” she exclusively told Us in May 2020. “I wouldn’t even know how to grab him or her. So, I was panicking thinking, ‘OK, the baby’s going to be born and I’m not even going to know how to change a diaper.’ And everybody’s like, ‘It comes instinctively, don’t worry.’”
Smirnoff had “a lot of anxiety” about raising her then-infant, so she opted to move in with her parents for a brief period.
“I think when you are not used to living with your parents for a long time as an adult and then suddenly you are, wow, that’s a whole different set of skills that you have to attain,” Smirnoff told Us at the time. “And I love them to death, they’ve been so incredibly helpful and I wouldn’t be able to do it without them, but that’s 24/7 in closed doors.”
