Maksim Chmerkovskiy pays tribute to late 'Dancing with the Stars' partner Kirstie Alley: 'I wish you the most peaceful rest'

• Maksim Chmerkovskiy paid tribute to his late "Dancing with the Stars" partner Kirstie Alley.

• "I thought you'd be around forever. I wish we spoke often," the dancer wrote on Instagram.

• Alley died on Monday from cancer that was only "recently discovered," per her family.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy paid tribute to his former "Dancing with the Stars" partner Kirstie Alley in an emotional Instagram post on Monday, shortly after news of Alley's death broke.

"We haven't spoken lately and I'll tell you everything when I finally see you, but for now I want to say that I love you very much and I wish you the most peaceful rest," Chmerkovskiy wrote alongside a photo of him and Alley from season 12 of "DWTS."

The dancer called Alley "one of the most unique people I have ever met and easily one of the brightest moments of my personal and professional life."

And while Chmerkovskiy noted that the true depths of their relationship were "known to select few," he called his bond with Alley "a wild rollercoaster."

"I remember how absolutely wild you were and I start to tear up. Something you'd absolutely hate," Chmerkovskiy wrote, adding: "And now I can't help but smile because I remembered exactly what you wanted me to say at your funeral. Don't think I can do it here…"

He ended his post on a poignant note, telling the late Alley, "I thought you'd be around forever. I wish we spoke often."

"Thank you for everything. I love you Kirstie Alley. RIP," Chmerkovskiy concluded.

Chmerkovskiy and Alley competed on season 12 of ABC's reality dancing program in 2011 and ended up coming in second. They later reunited for an all-star season of "DWTS" the following year.

Alley, perhaps best known for her work on the TV show "Cheers," died on Monday, her children announced on Twitter. The 71-year-old actress' death came after a short battle with cancer that was "only recently discovered," according to her children's statement.

Per the statement, Alley is survived by her children with ex-husband Parker Stevenson — William True, 30, and Lillie, 28 — and "her many animals."

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