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New York Post
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Ukrainian-born ‘DWTS' alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy brings vodka brand to NYC
Tetya Kapa, a Napa Valley vodka from Ukrainian-born 'Dancing with the Stars' veteran Maksim Chmerkovskiy, debuts in New York this week at hotspots including Elsie Rooftop, Fresco by Scotto, and Avra. The vodka is named for Chmerkovskiy's favorite relative, Kapa. Tetya is Ukrainian for aunt. 'She taught me how to drink and not get drunk at the ripe age of 10 or 11 years old,' Chmerkovskiy said. 'We grew up with that culture, constant celebrations, mournings, graduations, any kind of gathering was celebrated with shots of vodka, for health. I grew up in that culture. I didn't see a glass of wine until my 20s.' Advertisement 3 Tetya Kapa is a Napa Valley vodka from 'Dancing with the Stars' veteran Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Braden Tavelli The spirit will be available throughout the tri-state area, including Brooklyn — where Chmerkovskiy landed at age 14 with his family in 1994. It will be distributed by 'Dozortsev & Sons,' owned by fellow Ukrainian Arty Dozortsev. Chmerkovskiy got his start as a teenage dancer in Brighton Beach's famed restaurants, like Ukraina, that offered 'dinner and a show' to homesick ex-Soviet immigrants. He'd get $20 to $25 a show to perform with his partner, who would come to the restaurants after studying at a local yeshiva. Advertisement 'That woke me up. I didn't have to deliver newspapers, I could do something else,' said Chmerkovskiy, who has been a dancer and an entrepreneur ever since. After dancing on 'DWTS' for 17 years, Chmerkovskiy now lives with his wife, fellow 'DWTS' alumnus Peta Murgatroyd, and their three kids, who are all under five years old. He co-founded the vodka brand with Arthur Hartunian, founder of Napa Valley Distillery, and Ian Devereux White in 2023. Advertisement 3 The spirit will be available throughout the tri-state area. Chmerkovskiy and co-founder Ian Devereux White. Tetya Kapa Made without corn or sugar, using Sauvignon Blanc grapes, Tetya Kapa vodka took off with chef-led restaurants in Napa, including La Toque and Angele Restaurant & Bar. 'I'm very excited to return and introduce the product to New York,' Chmerkovskiy told Side Dish. 'How we celebrate revolves around shots of vodka. This one we don't have to sell, all people have to do is taste it, as it is very much a handmade product that you can sip, like a high end Mezcal, which is why a lot of the restaurants love it.' A portion of the sales will also go to charities supporting Ukraine, including Baranova27, a charity that Chmerkovskiy founded with his father to help rebuild houses in Western Ukraine. Advertisement Chmerkovskiy was in Kiev judging a dance show when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 3 The Ukrainian-born Chmerkovskiy was in Kiev judging a dance show when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Benjo Arwas 'The region was never very safe and while [Russia's invasion] shocked the world, it wasn't shocking to us or to anyone who knows history and the region. It was to be expected,' Chmerkovskiy said. Being in Kiev when Russia invaded 'was a tough experience,' Chmerkovskiy said. 'I made a lot of friends there and I have a lot of empathy for people in Ukraine. It was hard to see.' 'Dancers,' he added, 'we are a different type, if you will, and all of a sudden they were part of an army and went straight to the frontline. I'm not used to our type talking about anything other than cha-chas and sambas.' Some dancers turned into soldiers and have since lost some of their limbs. He also knows families on both sides of the border — and says there is still so much 'PTSD generationally in the region' from conflicts launched by Moscow that go back to the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. 'It is unfortunate – very tragic. Ukraine is now dealing with and will have a whole generation who can't forget, who are missing limbs,' Chmerkovskiy said. 'Everyone I know [in Ukraine] is part of this army. It's been very hard to watch and everyone I know has nothing to do with this lifestyle but had to pick up a weapon and be on the frontline. It's crazy. There is so much trauma.'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wendy Williams Dines with Friends at N.Y.C. Restaurant amid Hopes to End Her Guardianship
Wendy Williams was photographed having dinner with some friends at the Fresco by Scotto restaurant in New York City on Friday, April 11 The former talk show host has indicated that she wants to end her guardianship, previously telling PEOPLE it's "long overdue" Her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, said that "once Ms. Williams undergoes testing and a full evaluation, the results will inform the next steps for Ms. Williams' care" Wendy Williams is spending some time with friends amid her ongoing fight to end her guardianship. The former talk show host, 60, was photographed having dinner and dessert — complete with festive sparklers — with several friends at the Fresco by Scotto restaurant in New York City on Friday, April 11. In the photos, Williams can be seen smiling and laughing while wearing a black dress. One shot shows a dessert plate — sprinkled with strawberries and blueberries on the side — placed in front of the TV star. This comes more than a week after Williams opened up to PEOPLE about what she hopes to accomplish if her guardianship comes to an end, including finding love and traveling around the world, including to Paris. Related: Wendy Williams Has Forgiven Her Son for Allegedly Mishandling Her Money: 'They Were Able to Get Through That' (Exclusive) Williams — who said she originally asked for a guardianship until several restrictions were placed on her — told PEOPLE that she felt ending the guardianship was "long overdue." She also shared that she was optimistic that the battle will conclude in her favor, as fans gathered outside her N.Y.C. assisted living facility to rally for her freedom on April 1. "It will absolutely 1000% happen," she said of her hopes of terminating the guardianship. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Meanwhile, her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, claimed that additional medical testing for the host had been scheduled, but Williams declined to participate. Morrissey told PEOPLE earlier this month that an 'MRI brain scan and neuropsychological assessment' had originally been scheduled for March 21. 'The parties are not able to address the concerns that have been expressed to the media without the testing,' Morrissey said in a statement. 'Once Ms. Williams undergoes the testing and a full evaluation, the results will inform the next steps for Ms. Williams' care.' However, Williams told PEOPLE during the #FreeWendy rally outside of her facility: 'I don't know anything about that.' She added, 'Bulls---. I am open to what I am open to and I can't talk about it right now.' Related: Wendy Williams Gets Emotional Speaking to PEOPLE Through Facility Window During Rally Protesting Her Guardianship (Exclusive) Since May 2022, Williams has been under a legal guardianship that oversees both her finances and her health. The star has been living in a luxury high-rise assisted-living facility to address her cognitive issues and dementia diagnosis since 2023. Morrissey is the only person who currently has unfettered access to her. Last month, Williams' health care advocate, Ginalisa Monterroso, told PEOPLE that the TV personality is 'excited' for a jury to decide if her guardianship should end following additional mental competency testing. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! The additional testing comes after Williams, who was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2023, received a welfare check at her assisted living facility on March 11. She was then escorted out of the building, and EMS transported her in an ambulance to a local hospital 'for evaluation,' a spokesperson for the New York Police Department told PEOPLE at the time. Monterroso claimed Williams 'passed' the mental capacity exams at the hospital. She shared, 'She was alert and oriented, and we were satisfied with that.' Williams herself has also denied that she is incapacitated, telling Page Six last month, 'I'm better than good, but have been accused [of] being otherwise.' On Good Day New York, Williams announced that she "passed" the mental competency test at the hospital "with flying colors,' and added that the "most important thing" to her was "getting out of the guardianship." Read the original article on People
