Maks Chmerkovskiy isn’t dancing around this controversy. 

Less than a week after his brother Val Chmerkovskiy underwent a one-episode suspension from Dancing With the Stars for a controversial social media post, Maks shared his reaction. 

“I love him and he’s my brother,” Maks told E! News in an exclusive interview at the Dancers Against Cancer’s Gala of the Stars in Los Angeles Oct. 22. “He’s been on the other side of my antics I guess in the past and we’re going to keep it moving.”

Ultimately Maks—dad to Shai, 9, Rio, 3, and Milan, 2, with wife Peta Murgatroyd—didn’t want to step on his brother’s toes when it came to handling the backlash. 

“He’s going to handle it and he’s a big boy,” Maks continued. “He’s my brother no matter what. We have difference of opinions and difference of actions but it’s not going to change the way I feel about him.”

And when Val needs his support, Maks assured, “I’m there for him.”

“I’m with him,” he continued. “And we have spoken but there’s not something that I sort of let him know that he doesn’t already. I’m going to let him handle it.”