"Dancing with the Stars" Celeb Gets Engaged... And Stirs Rumor Mill

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

01 Dec 2006 10:15 PM

She was the contestant many viewers (the ones that didn't vote for her) thought should have gotten the boot from "Dancing with the Stars" a lot earlier. Former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Willa Ford first made headlines when rumors started flying that she was having a romance with her professional dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Well, now, Ford is hoping to FINALLY put that rumor to rest. According to PEOPLE magazine, Ford just got engaged to Dallas Stars hockey player Mike Modano.

"Maks and I were definitely close and we still are, but I kept saying that it's going to be a shocker to everybody when they find out (I'm engaged to Mike,)" Ford told the magazine. "Every week I told people the truth - we were close, we hung out - but the show loved to fuel the relationship."

Apparently, the 25-year-old singer and her 36-year-old fiancé have been on and off for about four and a half years. Ford told PEOPLE that they got engaged over the Thanksgiving weekend in Dallas, where Modano presented her with a classic, round cut solitaire diamond.

According to the magazine, after Ford said yes to Modano's proposal she called Chmerkovskiy to tell him about her engagement personally. "He said, 'you know I'm happy for you. I support you.' So everyone should know that Maks is okay! We'll stay friends and we'll still hang out."

I thought that statement was a bit odd. Or, perhaps taken out of context. Yes, I watched the show. And, yes, I felt there was chemistry between Ford and Chmerkovskiy, but I never knew that she had an on-again-off-again boyfriend who was thinking of proposing to her (the show ended two weeks prior to his proposal, yet he never showed up for any of her).

Adding fuel to the rumor mill that keeps churning despite Ford's recent engagement is the fact that both Ford and Chmerkovskiy just announced that they have both pulled out of the "Dancing with the Stars" national tour, which gets underway later this month.

"I decided, prior to the tour rehearsals starting, to pull out of the tour for personal reasons that I wish I could reveal, but I can't," Chmerkovskiy told PEOPLE. "There are no health issues, my health is fine. But I decided it was not right for me."

Shortly after Chmerkovski pulled out Ford did the same. "I didn't want to dance with a new partner," Ford told the magazine. "The fans wanted to see Willa and Maks dance together, not just whoever they gave me."

Perhaps, Ford will use the time she would have spent on tour planning her wedding. She has already announced that she plans to get married when Modano's team is in the off-season - and after she finishes her new album. As for what her future holds Ford said: "I'm really one of those old-fashioned Southern girls who wants to get married, have a little time as newlyweds and then have babies."

Now we'll have to see if Chmerkovski is invited to the nuptials... and if he shows up.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Libby Pelham (12866) 02 Dec 2006 08:31 AM

Wow, I really thought she and Maks were a couple - I thought she was even happy that they were doing the tour so they could spend more time together. Oh man, you mean all this romance stuff is made up for the show? LOL!

Tristi Pinkston (10839) 15 Dec 2006 09:52 AM

I dunno -- that was some seriously major chemistry going on. Of course, who wouldn't have some chemistry-type feelings while dancing with Maks? :)