Dancing With the Stars‘ Jenna Johnson is chiming in after brother-in-law Maks Chmerkovskiy‘s unfiltered comments about first-time pro Jan Ravnik.
“I think everyone is welcome to have their own opinion,” Johnson, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly at Variety‘s Power of Women event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 29, honoring a group of women dedicated to philanthropy as well as the most powerful women working in media and entertainment.
As drama swirled outside of the ballroom, Johnson teamed up with Ravnik, 30, during the Halloween Night episode on Tuesday, October 28, for a haunting contemporary routine to Taylor Swift‘s “Cancelled!”
“I absolutely adore Jan,” Johnson told Us at Wednesday’s red carpet. “I actually requested to do this piece with him at the beginning of the season, because he is such an incredible partner. So I’m really glad that we had that moment last night together.”
DWTS’ Jan Ravnik Claps Back at ‘Haters’ After Maks Chmerkovskiy Drama
Ravnik and his partner, Jen Affleck, were ultimately eliminated from the competition on Tuesday night. The shocking result came shortly after Chmerkovskiy, 45, claimed Ravnik had “absolutely no business” being a DWTS pro.
“There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there,” Chmerkovskiy said on his wife Peta Murgatroyd‘s “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast.
Chmerkovskiy went on to argue that Ravnik — who danced on Swift’s Eras Tour before joining season 34 of DWTS this fall — wasn’t giving Affleck the support she needed to excel in the competition. “[It’s a] major disadvantage,” he claimed. “[Jen] has no partner. … It’s not his fault.”
Murgatroyd, 39, called Ravnik a “lovely guy” and “great dancer” but agreed that “hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job” was an “outrageous” decision.
The criticism sparked plenty of conversation within the DWTS world. During Tuesday’s live show, Derek Hough showed his support for Ravnik from behind the judges table.
“I want to tell you, my man, that you are doing a fantastic first season,” Hough, 40, said before scoring Ravnik and Affleck’s performance.
Jan Ravnik Posts Pointed Taylor Swift Lyric Amid Maks Chmerkovskiy Drama
Following his elimination, Ravnik weighed in on the controversy while discussing the reaction to his first season. “I mean, look, everyone has [an] opinion. Everyone has a right to have [an] opinion. Haters [are] going to hate and whoever loves us, loves us,” he told Us. “What am I going to do? You can’t change their mind. Everyone can have [an] opinion — either I respect [it] or don’t respect [it].”
Ravnik added, “Yeah, let them talk. If they want to stay relevant in that way, yeah, let them hate.”
Johnson’s husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, stood by his older brother when asked for his take on the drama.
“That’s my guy. That’s my best friend. I always got his back,” Val, 39, told Access Hollywood on Tuesday. “You don’t have to like what he said. I don’t have to agree with what he said. But I’m always going to stand up for him.”
Val added that he “completely” disagreed with Maks’ opinion but wasn’t “going to bash” his own family.
“Do I think it’s hurtful for a current professional who is currently in the season to hear feedback like that? Of course, that’s incredibly hurtful,” Val continued. “I still share space with Jan, and I made sure that we kind of had our conversation, but I’ll say it again, I think he did an amazing job.”
Jan Ravnik and Rylee Arnold Bond Over Maks Chmerkovskiy ‘DWTS’ Criticism
Ravnik should be proud of what he accomplished this season, according to Val. “First time out, this is a much more intimidating position to be in than I think people at home imagine and I think he dealt with it — for a first-time pro — I’ll just say better than I did my first season. I was eliminated second,” he quipped.
Val is still in the running for the mirrorball trophy with partner Alix Earle. As for Johnson, she was sent home after week 2 with partner Corey Feldman. Asked whether she would ever trade her dancing shoes for judging paddles, Johnson played coy.
“I can’t say yes, right now,” she told Us on Wednesday. “I absolutely love being a performer, a choreographer, a creator, so I really want to continue doing that, as long as the show will have me, and then we’ll see where, where it goes from there.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
