It may not be Facebook official yet, but Kate Upton and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have finally gone public with their romance. The long-rumored couple were photographed holding hands while going for a stroll in New York City on Thursday, Sept. 26.
The Dancing With the Stars pro, 33, and Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover girl, 21, walked around NYC's West Village looking comfortable showing some PDA. Upton wore casual workout clothes, while Chmerkovskiy styled a pink dress shirt and tight black pants.
Multiple insiders told Us Weekly back in June that Upton and Chmerkovskiy were rumored to be dating. "It's very new," a source said at the time. "They were set up through friends. They just started dating." A source close to Upton, however, told Us that they had known each other for a long time and were just friends.
The twosome went to great efforts to hide their relationship while celebrating Upton's 21st birthday together in NYC on June 10. They were photographed leaving Scalinatella restaurant at separate times, but getting into the same car. But an eyewitness told Us that the couple was much closer during dinner. "They were very canoodly," the insider said, noting that they held hands at the table. "It was a very intimate meal."
In February 2012, Upton was rumored to be dating NFL player Mark Sanchez. Chmerkovskiy was previously engaged to fellow Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff, but they split in September 2009. In May 2012, he was rumored to be dating DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd, but the couple called it quits in February 2013.
Tell Us: Do you think Upton and Chmerkovskiy make a cute couple?