Dancing With the Stars pro Daniella Karagach has publicly asked fans to respect her daughter Nikita’s privacy after a few unfortunate incidents occurred. Karagach and her husband, fellow dancer Pasha Pashkov, are currently traveling around the United States with their 22-month-old daughter while on the Dancing With the Stars tour.
On Instagram on March 7, 2025, Karagach asked fans to respect her family’s privacy. After first explaining that she didn’t want to make this post, the choreographer went on to say that she and Pashkov are more than willing to take pictures with fans. However, after an incident in Biloxi, Mississippi, they have become concerned over how fans are treating Nikita — especially when they’re not around. She said:
“If you see us with our child, it is always OK to say hi. We love saying hi to you. But if you see that she’s not with us and with my mother-in-law, please do not hunt her down and ask her for photos or take photos of her without my mother-in-law’s knowledge… the main reason for this post is please do not take photos or videos of our baby girl without our knowledge or when she isn’t with us.”
Other ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Have Detailed Security Concerns As Well
Karagach isn’t the first Dancing With the Stars pro who has had to open up about security and privacy concerns while on the show’s tour. Just last year, pro Jenna Johnson had to publicly ask fans to respect her son Rome’s privacy. Johnson shares Rome with her husband, dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
In January 2024, Johnson asked fans to give her family some privacy after a group of fans followed Rome and his nanny up to his hotel room in Verona, New York. This concerning incident prompted Johnson to publicly ask fans to respect her son’s privacy while he is on tour with his parents.
Meanwhile, the live taping of the Dancing With the Stars show has also faced some controversy in the past, owing to lax security. In 2016, two men were able to interrupt the live broadcast of the show and protest celebrity contestant Ryan Lochte, storming the dance floor in the process. This altercation led to a full evaluation of security at the show, with a representative stating that changes would occur, if necessary. Last year, during Dancing With the Stars Season 33, a video of partners Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko was released showing them kissing, prompting immediate fan speculation that the two were this season’s new showmance. However, other pros, including former pro Cheryl Burke, have called out this lack of security and privacy in the ballroom.
The Dancing With the Stars cast is currently on tour until April 19, 2025. While Dancing With the Stars Season 35 has yet to be announced, previous seasons of the dance competition can be streamed on Disney+.
Source: Instagram
