‘Dancing With the Stars’: Chrishell Stause Slams ‘Annoying’ Gleb Savchenko Affair Rumors

Chrishell Stause is shutting down any speculation that she was romantically involved with Dancing With the Stars partner Gleb Savchenko after his estranged wife came forward with accusations of infidelity. The Selling Sunset star, who was paired with Savchenko in the most recent season of the ABC dance competition show, reaffirmed to E!’s Daily Pop on Tuesday that they were “just friends.”

“I feel like it really is annoying because it’s one of those things where, you know, unfortunately, the timing of what he’s going through personally, people want to make it into something it’s not,” Stause explained, adding that she does get where fans are coming from when they point out the teammates’ chemistry on the dance floor. “I get it. I’ve been on soaps. You have to have that kind of stuff sometimes when you’re on the dance floor. People misinterpret that.”

After being eliminated during week 8 of the competition, Stause and Savchenko were one of the teams to reunite during the finale Monday, ultimately won by Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev, “I was like, ‘Stay away from me!’” she joked about their reunion amid speculation from fans that they were together romantically. “Social distance! Blame it on COVID.”

Savchenko announced his split from wife Elena Samodanova after 14 years just days after being eliminated from Dancing With the Stars, vowing to co-parent daughters Olivia, 10, and Zlata, 3. The following day, Samodanova told PEOPLE that the cause of the split was the pro dancer’s “ongoing infidelity” and “a recent inappropriate relationship.”

“No wife should ever stand by and watch while another woman gifts her husband expensive presents, lures him out to dinners and seduces him at every turn,” Samodanova continued. “Last night was the final straw, and I can no longer turn my head the other way. My trust in Gleb is irrevocably broken and it is time that I walk away and begin to heal so I can be the best version of myself for my girls.”

Savchenko denied all cheating accusations, calling her statement full of “false accusations” and publicly clearing Stause of all speculation. The Netflix star also denied any rumors at the time, writing on her Instagram Story, “I am so saddened about the news of Gleb and Elena’s split. It is unfortunate that this has caused rumors to swirl about my personal life. …As you can imagine, the countless hours of training, and dance rehearsals has created a strong supportive friendship, but nothing more. I wish nothing but the best for both Gleb and Elena during this unfortunate time.”