- Corey Feldman recently opened up about behind-the-scenes “toxicity” surrounding his time on Dancing With the Stars.
- In a follow-up statement to People, Corey emphasized his positive experience with his partner Jenna Johnson and the DWTS team.
- Corey specifically called out Maksim Chmerkovskiy, whom he believes contributed to negative rumors about him and his partnership with Jenna.
Corey Feldman’s time in the ballroom may have been short, but apparently, it left quite the impression. During a recent appearance on Gurvey’s Law radio show, the Dancing With the Stars season 34 contestant opened up about his experience on the show, and he did *not* hold back.
“There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes,” he revealed, per the Daily Mail. “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.”
Naturally, fans freaked out—but now Corey is clarifying what he meant with his comments.
In a statement to People, Corey (who was partnered with pro Jenna Johnson) explained, “I want to make it absolutely clear that my experience on Dancing with the Stars has been positive. Everyone associated with the show—from my fellow cast members to the pros, crew and production team—has treated me with nothing but kindness, support and respect.”
He continued, “The issues I was referring to have nothing to do with the show itself. They relate to the outside commentary, rumors, and individuals who are no longer directly involved with DWTS but still feel entitled to weigh in and create unnecessary drama.”
The former child star even took to Instagram to share BTS photos from rehearsals for the show’s November 25 finale—and when a fan slid into his comments section to ask why he would “go back” if he disliked the “toxic culture” at DWTS, he further clarified his remarks.
“Don’t believe everything U read,” he replied. “There is a toxicity, and it’s in the ppl around the show, not in the show or its cast or production team.”
The “ppl” he’s likely referring to: former DWTS pro (and Jenna’s brother-in-law) Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who Corey actually called out by name during his Gurvey’s Law radio show appearance. As he explained, “You start reading these things in the paper, like...‘Corey Feldman destroyed the show. He destroyed the whole show because he was such an egomaniac it’s so difficult to work with.’ And then you're like, where is this coming from?”
Corey continued, “And I asked Jen...and she’s like, ‘Oh, it’s just Maks. Don’t pay attention to him. He just wants attention.’”
As a reminder: Before the season even began, Maks sat down with Daily Mail to dish about Corey and Jenna, saying, “Obviously, Jenna has a bit of an uphill climb with Corey, which is easy for everybody to say…but I know that she’s having a much more difficult time with this entire thing and to the point that it is really difficult for her.”
So, yeah. Seems Corey isn’t over it yet!
