DWTS ' Sharna Burgess Defends Relationship with Brian Austin Green: 'This Isn't a Showmance'

As partners on and off the dance floor, Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green are in a unique position on this season of Dancing with the Stars.

Ahead of their performance on the ABC series Monday night, Burgess, 36, shared a slideshow of photos on Instagram of the couple in rehearsals, leading with a shot of her grabbing the actor's butt.

"For those that say we kiss too much, here's a full [peach emoji] grab instead," she began. "But for real though, we kissed once in the first show that's it. This isn't a showmance, this is real life love and it's a part of our journey."

"Every step. Every struggle. Every success. And anyone that thinks it's an advantage I can assure you, it's not," she continued. "ITS [sic] SUPER HARD! We both wanted to push harder this week because we really want those scores to keep us in the competition, but in the process, we had a few moments of feeling hyper sensitive toward each other and struggled to find a happy positive work flow."

Sharna Burgess/Instagram

The pro dancer admitted "coaching your boyfriend is hard, and having your girlfriend be the one to tell you all the s--- you're doing wrong is also hard."

"I am still trying to find balance between how much I love him and how much I love to create and coach for perfection on this show," she continued. "What I do know is I'm grateful for every second I get on that dance floor with him. What a dream to share this."

RELATED: Brian Austin Green Calls Sharna Burgess Romance 'Storybook' — 'She's Just the Whole Package'

Concluding, Burgess asked fans to keep voting for the couple and gave a special shout-out to Green, 48.

"I'm so proud of you @brianaustingreen, and I'm so grateful for you," she wrote. "Your courage out there and your patience with me. Tonight is fun, you've done all the hard work and you're ready. Let's f------ tango baby!!!!!"

Sharna Burgess/Instagram

Burgess and Green, who split from wife Megan Fox in 2020, have been dating for about a year. The duo made their DWTS debut during the Sept. 20 season premiere, sharing a kiss at the end of their routine. They next danced to "Say You Won't Let Go" by James Arthur.

"It's been an incredible 11 months of showing a person truly who I am," Burgess said during last week's show. "Complete vulnerability with each other and that's new for me."

On this week's episode, the couple earned a 19 out of 30 after performing a tango to Britney Spears' 2011 hit "Till the World Ends."

Sharna Burgess/Instagram

Sharna Burgess/Instagram

RELATED: What We Know About the DWTS COVID Protocols After Cody Rigsby and Cheryl Burke Test Positive

Having the stars and pros in close proximity each week has presented challenges amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, pro Cheryl Burke and her partner Cody Rigsby tested positive for breakthrough cases. In a first for the show, they performed Monday's routine separately and virtually.

After Monday's show, Burgess and Green spoke to reporters about how staffers on set who have been dubbed "the COVID police" monitor the situation.

"Pre-COVID, we would all be running onto the floor to those that were eliminated or getting through. And, you know, we're there for each other physically, emotionally, mentally. And so that's been really tough for us," Burgess said. "Our COVID police have been really wonderful and patient with us in making sure we're safe."

"When somebody [gets eliminated], you feel like, 'Oh man, I've spent so little time with them, but I've gotten so connected with these people and we're all rooting for each other,'" Green added. "It's such a great group that when somebody goes, it's heartbreaking. You don't want to say goodbye."

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.