‘Dancing With the Stars’ Feud Ends After Apology From Former Pro

Former Dancing With the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy is apologizing to Jan Ravnik after saying the newest pro on the ABC dance competition had “no business” being cast.

Chmerkovskiy, who competed on 17 seasons of DWTS before retiring in 2017, came down on Ravnik for having “zero foundation” in ballroom after being cast on the heels of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, saying on wife Peta Murgatroyd’s The Penthouse With Peta podcast last week that him being on the show in general was “absurd.”

Following Ravnik’s elimination during Halloween Night alongside celebrity partner Jen Affleck on Tuesday, Chmerkovskiy walked back his comments in an apology video posted Thursday.

“First and foremost, I want to apologize to Jan for the way my words made you feel, for hurting your feelings,” he said. “There’s a lot more that I want to say. I would like an opportunity to do it over coffee, or any kind of time you have to spare. I would love to meet. I would love to bury the hatchet.”

Chmerkovskiy continued, “Most importantly, I think you’re going to walk away with knowing me, feeling completely different, and, dare I say, we probably might even be friends. Maybe it’s paradoxical, but my personality [is] ‘I love you, and I will tell you how it is,’ let alone if I don’t know you. So, my commentary on dance does not come with feelings and emotions, it just comes with completely different range of reasoning.”

Chmerkovskiy also acknowledged the backlash he received for commenting on Ravnik’s performance as a one-time Mirrorball Trophy winner, saying, “Yes, I know that more than anybody else. I’m very well aware that every single member in my family has won Dancing With the Stars more than I have.”

Chmerkovskiy, who is brother to three-time DWTS winner Val Chmerkovskiy, brother-in-law to two-time winner Jenna Johnson and husband to his two-time winner wife, continued, “They are much better at Dancing With the Stars than me… Fundamentally, I don’t care, and I lead with that. And because I lead with that, I’m not fighting for anybody’s votes. And so in a platform where that’s important, I’m not the guy.”

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A post shared by Maksim Chmerkovskiy (@maksimc)

Chmerkovskiy concluded that he wants “to only lead by example,” adding, “Because of that, I can point at myself and say, ‘Don’t do that.’ [When] I realize something about myself, I realize it.”

Ravnik previously responded to Chmerkovskiy’s criticism of his casting to Entertainment Tonight Tuesday, telling the outlet he had “no comment” on that.

“Look, I got all the love on this show,” the first-time pro noted. “All the praise from the judges also, like everyone gave me so much love.”

Ravnik continued, “Whoever is saying, outside, the people who [are] trying to stay relevant and spreading the hate, this is not a way to do it. And I never will spread or take the hate.”

Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu.