Dancing with the Stars competitor Jen Affleck rushed to the defense of her pro dance partner Jan Ravnik after the latter was slammed by alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who alleged the former Taylor Swift backup dancer had “no business” being on the show.
Chmerkovskiy, who was on the show for 17 seasons prior to his departure in 2018, gave his harsh opinion during a recent podcast appearance on The Penthouse with Peta, which is hosted by his wife, fellow pro dancer and two-time DWTS champ Peta Murgatroyd.
As Murgatroyd brought up certain critiques of Affleck and Ravnik’s foxtrot — highlighting positives and areas of improvement — during the past week’s Wicked-themed night, Chmerkovskiy joked that he wanted to leave to avoid the topic.
“He’s learning. He’s learning slowly. It’s his first season,” Murgatroyd said of Ravnik. “We have to give him grace for not understanding foxtrot technique. It’s very hard to watch.”
“No, we don’t,” Chmerkovskiy, who won the show in 2014, replied. “No, we do not have to give him grace. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?” He continued, complimenting Murgatroyd on her astute commentary, maintaining it’s “a skill I do not possess at all.”
“I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing with the Stars. There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “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 — he had no idea what [a] foxtrot is supposed to look like. How are you gonna expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing?”
Chmerkovskiy added that he had similar critiques “weeks ago” and was hoping someone would step in to help guide Ravnik’s work. He maintained there was one performance “that delivered some sort of direction … and then it just [went] off the cliff.”
Though the alum said he has nothing against Ravnik “whatsoever,” he called his casting “a missed opportunity,” saying Affleck has “no partner” to guide her. Murgatroyd added she feels “bad” The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is “not getting taught the basics,” and the couple concluded she is at a “major disadvantage.”
Seemingly in response, Affleck posted a TikTok earlier today depicting her standing up for Ravnik online, as she pantomimed typing furiously in the comments section on social media. “Me when anyone talks trash about Jan,” read the text on the clip. The audio of the video borrowed the “Take It Down” meme from motivational speaker Dr. Umar Johnson, as Ravnik lip synced, “Take it down. Take it down. Take it down. We need it gone. Take it down. That doesn’t represent me or what we need to be doing.”
The post ‘DWTS’ Star Jen Affleck Defends Dance Partner Jan Ravnik After Alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy Says He “Has Absolutely No Business Being A Pro” appeared first on Deadline.
