Karina Smirnoff News (Page 2)

The R&B singer whose real name is Mario Dewar Barrett, that is.

Karina Smirnoff is still quite happy with boyfriend Mario Lopez.

The Dancing With the Stars pro tells Us Weekly that "there is nothing" to rumors that she's hooking up with her current partner, R&B singer Mario.

"We have a completely professional relationship," Karina Smirnoff said. "I have a lot of respect for Mario. He is a great person."

The New York Post reported earlier this week that Mario and Karina Smirnoff (who partnered with Lopez on the show in season three) were "making out by the valet with their hands all over each other" at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Mario, who performed very well in each of the first two episodes of the current sixth season, also denies the claim, saying via his rep "this did not happen."

But a source close to the singer insists "there is definitely chemistry and flirtation between the two." Palpable, even, you could say. They're hot, hot, hot!

As with Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke, that kind of connection is enough to make people assume there is some serious rolling in the hay going on.

That's Dancing With the Stars for you!

Dancing with the Stars produces more than just champions.

It leads to love connections!

Karina Smirnoff, who will be partnering with singer Mario Dewar Barrett this season on the show, was spotted recently with her former partner - and current boyfriend - Mario Lopez. Aren't these two adorable?

With all this talk about Julianne Hough and Helio Castroneves dating, it's easy to forget the first couple of Dancing with the Stars:

Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff are still going strong, as proven below with the two making waves during their Mexican getaway to Punta Mita on Saturday.

Dancing With the Stars' Karina Smirnoff showed off her new nose last night.

"She looked amazing," an attendee at French Connection's holiday styling event at Sunset Tower in West Hollywood told Us Magazine. "She was totally confident, beaming the whole time!"

Smirnoff went under the knife of Beverly Hills surgeon Nicholas Nikolov November 2 to repair bumps and breathing problems she suffered after breaking her nose twice.

"It's the new me, and I'm loving it!" she gushed to Extra.

Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff are officially more than just former partners on Dancing with the Stars. The pair recently took their relationship to the next level: They're cohabiting.

"They recently moved in together," a source close to the couple said to People magazine. "It was a big step to take, especially for Mario, but they both think this could be it. Things are going really well right and they're loving being together all the time."

The 33-year-old Lopez and the Ukrainian-born Smirnoff have always been coy about their romance since coming in second on Dancing with the Stars last season - but were spotted vacationing together in Mexico later that month.

Lopez, who will co-host the Miss Universe 2007 pageant on NBC live from Mexico City on May 28, told the puclication at the time that he and Smirnoff had "a very special relationship" and said: "We're great friends and very supportive of each other."

Reps for both had no comment. But we're sure Carrie Ann Inaba would give this pairing a perfect 10.

It was an evening of TWO dances last night. Ballroom and Latin were on the agenda for our Dancing with the Stars contestants.

Were there any perfect scores? Are Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough still the favorites? Or did a shirtless Maksim Chmerkovskiy steal their shoe-tapping thunder?

There's only one way to find out: Read through our Episode Guide right now.

Guess their romance isn't really a secret anymore.

But still, it's fun to catch Mario Lopez and his former Dancing with the Stars partner Karina Smirnoff taking their romantic paso doble out in public.

Seen here, the couple is at the 4th annual Triumph for Teens Awards Gala in Beverly Hills on Wednesday. Hosted by Phoenix House, a nonprofit alcohol and drug abuse treatment center, the dinner celebrated the victories of young people over substance abuse.

It's a worthy cause for these Dancing with the Stars love birds to be attending.

After saying goodbye to Leeza Gibbons last week, it's on to the latest round of moving and shaking ...

Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke (Samba) - Ian is definitely capable of more attitude and athleticism, and the judges are on to him. His arm muscles were the most impressive of the night, but his Samba was mediocre when compared with Apolo's. Ian admitted that he had trouble getting into the character of the dance. If he's going to make it to the finals, he will have to overcome that challenge. Score: 24 (all 8s)

Clyde Drexler and Elena Grinenko (Rumba) - Early on in the competition, the judges encouraged Clyde to take advantage of his long legs and open up on the dance floor. But he is still not heeding this advice. We keep waiting for him to surprise the audience with a little more movement, but no such luck. Clyde and Elena's Rumba was very subdued. The judges showed the couple no mercy, calling Clyde the worst dancer in the competition. Score: 13 (4, 5, 4) Deserved, but ouch.

Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts (Samba) - We never noticed that Jonathan was the only male professional with hair on his chest, but Heather did. She insisted that her partner get the "Steve Carell" treatment (that's chest-waxing, for those of you who didn't see The 40-Year-Old Virgin). The pair performed a lively, entertaining Samba. Heather is a great performer, but she was not at her technical best tonight. Their performance took an unlucky turn when Heather's foot slipped on Jonathan's baby-smooth chest, sending her to the floor butt-first. The judges gave her a break, since the rest of the dance was more than competent. We're guessing that the fall will motivate Heather to really bring it next week. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7)

Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson (Rumba) - Joey wanted to shed his goofy side and get into the sexy character of the Rumba. He was flexible and focused, and he even grabbed Kym's butt a few times for good measure. We loved the couple's costumes, particularly Kym's beautiful dress. The judges gave Joey some grief for being too feminine, and Carrie Ann thought that Joey "over-performed" the dance. Bruno was the sole voice of dissent, calling the performance "strong and soft." Score: 25 (8, 8, 9)

John Ratzenberger and Edyta Sliwinska (Samba) - John seemed to take last week's brutal comments to heart, comparing the remarks to a "playground taunting." He stopped himself from pouting, though, which is admirable.He's a charming, lovable guy, and his personality could save him this week. John might end up in the bottom two, but he will probably escape elimination. Score: 18 (6, 6, 6)

Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Rumba) - Laila's fiancé made a hilarious appearance during practice, and kept a close eye on the placement of Maksim's hands. Fortunately for all of us, his influence didn't carry over into the couple's performance. Laila's Rumba was hot and flirtatious, and she looked as flawless as ever. As long as the pair can follow the rules and maintain their sex appeal, they have a real shot at winning. Len thought it was Laila's best performance ever, and Bruno thought she was "smoldering." Score: 28 (9, 10, 9)

Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough (Samba) - Apolo Anton Ohno confessed that he desperately wanted a 10, and he got three of them. The first perfect score of the season was well-deserved. Apolo and Julianne did their best to go from cute to sexy, and they pulled it off. These two can really get into the spirit of every dance that they perform. Len said that all of the elements of their performance came together, and Carrie Ann called the Samba "perfection." They have to get the encore tomorrow, and we cannot wait to see them dance again. Score: 30 (10,10,10)

Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff (Rumba) - Few men can pull off a pastel purple sleeveless shirt, and Billy Ray is not one of them. Billy Ray's Rumba was a step backward in terms of skill and entertainment value. Karina basically lap-danced around him. The worst part was Billy Ray's attempt at sexiness, which came off more like smarminess. The guy is starting to give us the creeps. Carrie Ann praised Billy Ray's technical skills, while Bruno compared him to a "pillar of salt." Len said that Billy Ray traded the romance of the Rumba for "hanky-panky in the back of a Chevy." Nobody was amused by Billy Ray's predictable response. Billy Ray had a lot of potential early on, but his performances have plateaued. Fan votes are the only thing keeping him alive. Score: 17 (6, 6, 5)