It’s always entertaining to watch celebrities learn how to dance like a pro; however, there's always a lot of intrigue surrounding Dancing With The Stars off-camera, too. Last season saw supposed beef between host Julianne Hough and contestant Anna Delvey and a celebrity/pro duo partnering off the dance floor. Season 34, which is currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule, brought a slew of new gossip, and celebrity contestant Corey Feldman is not holding back about the drama he faced while on the show.
The Goonies actor recently made claims to the Daily Mail about the internal and external hate he received during his time on DWTS. Though Feldman was eliminated the first week, it seems he was on the show long enough to pick up on the culture off-camera, saying:
There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes. Actually there, everything was great. But the behind-the-scenes drama and BS that people throw around that show, I've never seen anything like it. It's the worst, like, most toxic.
This might come as a surprise to newer fans of DWTS, given that everyone always looks excited to be there during rehearsal footage and in behind-the-scenes videos posted to social media. However, if you’ve been around for a while, you know that the relations among castmates and celebrities alike can get messy.
A lot of it comes from speculation amongst viewers. It’s no secret that DWTS includes intensive training and intimate dances, which inevitably lead to rumors. It’s part of the reason why Season 33’s winner, Joey Graziadei, asked for a partner who was already in a "successful and healthy relationship," to avoid the dating rumors that are so common with DWTS. Feldman confirmed that it was really tough to ignore the headlines once the media got hold of any rumors:
On the set everybody gets along. Everybody's great. Everybody's happy. You're working hard. You don't even have time to look up. You're just working. But then it's like you start reading these things in the paper, like, ‘this person's mad at this person. These people aren't talking to each other.’ Or ‘are people working hard enough?’ ‘Corey Feldman destroyed the show. He destroyed the whole show because he was such an egomaniac it's so difficult to work with.’
The Lost Boys actor in particular faced a lot of backlash in the media this season, seemingly coming from his partner, Jenna Johnson's brother-in-law and former DWTS pro Maksim "Maks" Chmerkovskiy. Right around the time rehearsals were supposed to start, Feldman suddenly missed nearly a week of practice, leaving producers and castmates wondering where he was. He was left with less than two weeks to get ready for the premiere.
Comments about the Gremlins actor’s poor mindset and work ethic towards his sister-in-law (Johnson) later came from Chmerkovskiy in an exclusive with Daily Mail, leaving Feldman apparently less than appreciative, and claiming his dance partner just brushed it off:
And then you're like, where is this coming from? And I asked Jen, I'm like, where is this coming from? She's like, 'Oh, it's just [Maks].' She rolls her eyes. She's like, ‘Oh it's just [Maks]. Don't pay attention to him. He just wants attention.’ I was like 'Oh my God.'
This isn’t the only instance of Chmerkovskiy stirring the pot from the sidelines this season. The former DWTS pro slammed newcomer pro Jan Ravnik for his lack of ballroom background, bluntly saying, “he has no business being a pro on DWTS.” While the Eras Tour dancer wasn’t as direct in his response as Feldman and Chmerkovskiy, he still responded to his critics.
As for Feldman, after the headlines impacted his reputation with DWTS audiences, Johnson and the Stand By Me actor set the record straight via social media following his elimination from the show. The two denied any bad blood, with Johnson admitting on Danielle With The Stars! that she knew Feldman had scheduling conflicts prior to missing practice.
Now, with only one episode left in the season, we'll have to wait and see if these comments get addressed by anyone else on the show. Meanwhile, to find out who will take home the mirrorball trophy, be sure to tune in live to the DWTS Season 34 finale this Tuesday, November 25 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, or watch with a Disney+ subscription.
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