Maks Chmerkovskiy returned to his wife Peta Murgatroyd’s Dancing With the Stars recap podcast — but he swears his commentary isn’t meant to cause any offense.
“With Whitney [Leavitt], I think [she’s one of the most] next-level dancers we’ve ever seen, there are still things that she’s running into,” Chmerkovskiy, 45, began on the Friday, November 7, episode of the “Penthouse With Peta” podcast. “It’s like, ‘Well, there’s got to be more by now? Are we not expecting more?’”
He continued, “Again, I’m not trying to get any upset with me, but there are now expectations.”
Chmerkovskiy, who won DWTS season 18, recently came under fire for his impassioned feedback about this current season of the competition. On an earlier episode of the “Penthouse With Peta” podcast, Chmerkovskiy specifically criticized pros Jan Ravnik and Rylee Arnold’s apparent lack of experience in the ballroom. (Season 34 is Ravnik’s first and Arnold’s third.)
Derek Hough Subtly References Maks Chmerkovskiy’s Comments About Jan Ravnik
While neither Ravnik, 30, nor Arnold, 20, responded to Chmerkovskiy’s hot takes, he ultimately apologized for his remarks.
“I want to apologize to Jan for the way my words made you feel [and] for hurting your feelings,” Chmerkovskiy said in a social media video shared on October 30. “There’s a lot more that I wanted to say. I would like the opportunity to do it over coffee, or any kind of time you have to spare.”
According to The Traitors alum, his feedback didn’t “come with feelings and emotions.”
“It just comes with [a] completely different range of reasoning, and I’m that guy,” Chmerkovskiy explained. “I’m very honest and very black and white. It may be late in the game, but when I realize something about myself, I realize … because I finally understand that for myself.”
After social media backlash, Chmerkovskiy didn’t join Murgatroyd, 39, on the October 31 episode of her podcast. Murgatroyd, meanwhile, defended her spouse’s comments before recapping the season 34 Halloween Night routines.
DWTS’ Jan Ravnik Claps Back at ‘Haters’ After Maks Chmerkovskiy Drama
“Before we get into this week’s breakdown, I want to take a moment to address what happened last week,” Murgatroyd, a two-time mirrorball champion, explained. “Some of our critiques came off more harshly than intended. I wanted to be really clear, that was never the goal. We never want to condone hate or personal attacks of any kind. We love Dancing With the Stars. It’s one of the best shows on television, and a show that has given me so much over the years.”
She continued at the time, “Jan and Rylee, please know that our intention was never to make things personal. We’re so sorry for hurting your feelings. Our goal is to discuss performances from a professional ballroom dancer’s perspective, and, unfortunately, sometimes our passion can be mistaken for negativity — but that’s never where our hearts are.”
Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd were joined by fellow show alum Sharna Burgess on Friday’s episode, where they examined even the smallest missteps from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night dances.
“It’s, like, I’m [watching] in a room with people who are non-dancers and every time something happens, everybody’s like, ‘OK, well was that something or not?’” Chmerkovskiy recalled. “I’m, like, ‘No, no, no, that was nothing.’ [They then ask], ‘What about that?’ I was like, ‘Yep, that was something.’ I’m being ‘that guy,’ and I don’t want to be that guy.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
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