10 ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Feuds That Injected Drama Into the Ballroom

Dancing With the Stars recently kicked off its 29th season after plenty of drama due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the exit of longtime hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. Tyra Banks stepped in to host and produce a new version of the series, leaving some fans cold. But it’s nothing new for the reality competition and throughout the years there have been a few dramatic pairings.

The show, which debuted in 2005, does a fairly good job pairing up celebrities and professional dancers. However, sometimes the dancing couples just don’t see eye to eye. The judges and contestants don’t always see eye-to-eye either. And sometimes judges don’t like the other judges. Luckily, this has only happened a few times throughout the show’s duration. Read on to learn about ten DWTS‘ feuds that kicked up drama in the ballroom and behind-the-scenes. Some ended in glory, while others seemed destined for the “what might’ve been” file.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Vanessa Lachey

The most recent major feud to hit the DWTS ballroom was between Lachey and Chmerkovskiy. Their partnership was also one of the most anticipated of season 25 back in 2017.

The love between the two quickly weakened as reports starting circulating that there was drama brewing between the pairing. In an unexpected move, Chmerkovskiy did not perform with Lachey on the night of Oct. 2, citing a “personal issue” for his absence. A source told PEOPLE that Chmerkovskiy sat out because he and Lachey have been “fighting a lot.”

“There’s a big chemistry issue,” the source told the publication. “They both have big personalities and that’s not always the best recipe for a good partnership.” Despite the reported drama, the pair danced on Monday night together and seemed to have put their issues behind them.

Cheryl Burke and Ian Ziering

Nearly 10 years after Cheryl Burke and Ian Ziering competed together on season 4, the former spoke out about their partnership on the podcast Allegedly with Theo Von and Matthew Cole Weiss.

Burke said that Ziering was her least-favorite partner of her then-18 season run on DWTS. She said that working with him “made me want to slit my wrists.” Burke later apologized for the comment that “made light of suicide.”

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Hope Solo

Chmerkovskiy and Hope Solo ended up doing fairly well in the competition during their season, however it was the tension behind-the-scenes that really got them going.

Solo accused her DWTS partner of being “nasty” and “harshly critical,” saying he manhandled her during rehearsals. Solo also accused Chmerkovskiy of slapping her across the face. He denied the accusations and said their feud is over. “I don’t like her, and that’s the end of it,” Chmerkovskiy said of his former partner.

 

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani also struggled off-stage. The pair’s issues stemmed from the TV personality’s inability to dance and Dovolani struggled teaching her. Gosselin started to criticize the DWTS pro’s teaching methods. Things got really tense between the two during a rehearsal session ending with Dovolani storming out of the room, telling Gosselin that he quits.

After cooling down from the heated moment, they finished the competition together as a pair, however it’s safe to say they didn’t leave as best friends.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and the Judges Panel

This was yet another issue Chmerkovskiy brought to the dance floor, but this time it didn’t involve a partner. He is known for stirring the pot on DWTS, but this moment from 2011 will go down in infamy as part of the show’s history.

After he and Solo received a low score from their rumba performance, Chmerkovskiy suggested that it might be time for judge Len Goodman to retire. Fellow judge Carrie Ann Inaba fought back and called the professional dancer disrespectful. 

Chmerkovskiy went on to tell then-host Brooke Charvet that “with all due respect, this is my show.” The drama between the judges panel and Chmerkovskiy is long over since he has returned to the ballroom.

Erin Andrews and Tom Bergeron

While the pair seem to be on better terms despite their shocking exit from the show ahead of season 29, there was apparently some drama between Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. In the end, it boiled down to one side’s view on the professionalism of the other.

The rumors from their tenure on the reality competition say Bergeron was reportedly upset Andrews required extensive prep time during commercials. Reports also indicate that the hosting pair didn’t communicate with each other off camera, though it is all up in the air related to truth.

Julianne Hough and Carrie Ann Inaba

With her brother Derek Hough filling in the judges seat for Len Goodman this season, Julianne Hough’s relationship with fellow judge Carrie Ann Inaba might return to the headlines. The pair allegedly were involved in an old fashioned spat over the amount of attention one was receiving over the other. It could be diva behavior, it could be real, it’s definitely something that would get fans talking.

Amber Rose and Julianne Hough – Body Shaming

Hough also got in hot water with contestants too, though it was nipped in the bud thanks to the spirit of positivity on the show. The former judge was accused of body shaming contestant Amber Rose, with the model accusing Hough after was critical of her salsa dance during season 23. Hough cleared the air the following week, putting any drama to rest with Rose.

“The thing that I love so much about dance is that dance is a universal platform for people to express themselves — any person,” she said. “As a judge on this show, I am here to solely judge you and everyone else in this competition for only the dancing. So I want you to know that.”

 

Derek Hough and Jennifer Grey

The Dirty Dancing star and current judge Derek Hough finished their season together as mirror ball champs, but it didn’t come easy. During their preparation and training together, Grey said Hough was losing his temper. This led to Hough losing his temper and asking for the cameras to be shut off.

Grey went for a walk and cooler heads finally prevailed. And in the end, both ended up champions of season 11.

Jaleel White and Kym Johnson

This is a story that wasn’t caught on cameras but reportedly stands as the juiciest snippet of drama from the show’s history. The Family Matters star and his partner Johnson allegedly had a heated confrontation after White allegedly stepped on Johnson’s foot and got angry when she reacted in pain.

Reports say White had to be held back by NFL star Donald Driver and DWTS pro Mark Ballas , but the sitcom star said the reports were blown out of proportion. “It was completely exaggerated. This has been a stressful week for us, and people have stressful weeks,” he told PEOPLE in 2012.