“DANCING with the Stars” pros Derek Hough, 28, and Mark Ballas, 27, bought a spectacular new house together – but they want you to know they’re NOT gay!
The longtime friends have battled whispers that they cha-cha with their own kind, and the rumor mill recently kicked in after they co-purchased a stunning $1.27 million home in Los Angeles.
But what’s really getting under their skin is the fact that some of the gay jabs are coming from the “DWTS” set!
A source tells The ENQUIRER the pair are fed up with the gay talk, particularly since they’ve heard so much of it at work from fellow “DWTS’ pros, brothers Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy.
“Maks, when he was still on the show, used to tease them, saying they were ‘boys’ while he was a ‘man,’” the source said. “When he’d see Mark and Derek hanging out after rehearsals, he’d tell them, ‘Hey, go get a room!’
“Now he has to put up with snide remarks from Val.”
Derek admits that some peoplehave assumed he was gay because he’s a dancer. The rumors spread like wildfire in 2009 when he split from “American Pie” actress Shannon Elizabeth, and again in 2012 when he was spotted dancing at a gay nightclub in his native Utah, where he shooed away a fan who tried to snap a picture.
Despite the talk, Mark and Derek “don’t think there’s anything weird” about buying a home together, says a friend.
“They’re practically brothers,” the friend explained. “Mark’s dad was Derek’s dance coach as a kid, and he and Mark formed a music group with (Derek’s sister) Julianne when they were 12.
“They’re both single, have some money to burn, and it seemed like a good investment. They paid a pretty low price for a really nice home.”
Still, the two don’t plan to put up with the petty whispers when “DWTS” returns for its 18th season on ABC on March 17.
The friend added: “Mark says the first person who teases him about buying a house with Derek, whether it’s Val or anyone else, is a candidate for a fat lip!”
