Kate Upton Dating 'Dancing with the Stars' Performer Maksim Chmerkovskiy [REPORT]

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is not only using his “Dancing with the Stars” skills on the stage -- the performer is also rumored to also be dancing his way into the heart of Kate Upton. According to a new report, the 33-year-old professional recently started dating the two-time Sports Illustrated cover model.

Us Weekly reported Tuesday that 21-year-old Upton has recently started seeing the former TV star, with a source confirming to the magazine that their romance is “very new.” “They were set up through friends. They just started dating,” the source said.

Reports of the duo’s budding relationship first surfaced after the two were spotted dining at Italian restaurant Scalinatella in New York City recently. An eyewitnesses to the date said the famous pair was seen holding hands while enjoying their night together. “They were very canoodly,” a source said. “It was a very intimate meal.”

While representatives for both Upton and Chmerkovskiy declined to comment on the reports, a source close to the blonde beauty claimed that the dating rumors are false, stating that the rumored couple are longtime pals and only "just good friends.”

Upton was last reported to be dating Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander before tabloids linked the model to mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. The Daily Mail reported in March that the two were seen at a nightclub in Miami, a source revealing, “They were kissing; they weren’t hiding it.” Upton denied the rumors, stating they were “not at all true.”

Chmerkovskiy was previously engaged to his former “Dancing with the Stars” co-star and fellow dancer, Karina Smirnoff, 35. The couple called off their relationship in 2009.