Corey Feldman has hit out at the ‘toxic’ culture on Dancing with the Stars, taking aim at former professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s public criticism of him just days before he is set to return.
Feldman, 54, was the first celebrity to be eliminated after struggling to win over public favor amid a maelstrom of TALK about his work ethic on the hit ABC series.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail earlier this year, Chmerkovskiy, 45, had laid bare the difficulty his sister-in-law Jenna Johnson, 31, faced when partnered with Feldman, demanding she be shown the ‘respect’ she deserved.
Feldman has now broken his silence, revealing he was shocked at the toxicity of the ‘mudslinging’ behind-the-scenes, and said Johnson simply rolled her eyes at Chmerkovskiy’s comments when he voiced his concerns.
‘There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes,’ Feldman said. ‘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.’
The Goonies actor delivered his damning verdict on the show ahead of his planned return for Tuesday night’s finale which will see Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle, Dylan Efron, Elaine Hendrix, and Robert Irwin compete for the coveted Mirrorball trophy.
Corey Feldman has revealed he was shocked at the toxicity of the ‘mudslinging’ behind-the-scenes on Dancing with the stars, days before he is set to return for the final
Feldman, 54, took aim at former DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, 45, (pictured) who raised questions about the actor’s work ethic in an interview with the Daily Mail
Feldman said he is ‘not excited’ to dance again or appear alongside his cast mates as he recalled how he was branded an ‘egomaniac’ who was ‘so difficult to work with’.
Feldman opened up about his time on set in a pre-recorded appearance on the Gurvey’s Law Radio Show for AM 790 KABC Talkradio, which will air in Los Angeles at 7pm on Sunday.
‘On the set everybody gets along,’ he said. ‘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”.
‘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 Max. She rolls her eyes. She’s like, “oh it’s just Max. Don’t pay attention to him. He just wants attention.” I was like oh my God.’
Feldman’s dedication to the show was pulled into question days before the premier back in September.
The actor missed rehearsals for five days and his apparent lack of practice showed, as he received the joint lowest score – a nine out of 20 – for this Tango to Billy Joel ‘s It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.
Insiders previously told the Daily Mail that this season was ‘a s**t show’ with multiple stars failing to commit to the demands of the competition.
Feldman and Johnson became the first to be eliminated days after she claimed the actor had gone missing
‘They chose a few stars – and I use that term loosely – who just don’t want to put in the work,’ the source said at the time. ‘Some just don’t seem as committed as others have in the past.
‘Yes, Corey is one of them. It takes work to win Dancing with the Stars. Rehearsals, practice, really immersing yourself, and a few people don’t seem to want to do that.’
Speaking to the Daily Mail around the same time, Chmerkovskiy said: ‘Obviously, Jenna has a bit of an uphill climb with Corey, which is easy for everybody to say from [outside], 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.
‘And so, I wish her all the best. We’re here. Obviously, we’re all together if you need to be, but you’re talking about a reigning champ, so put some respect on the name, everybody.’
Feldman and Johnson were voted off in a double week one elimination.
Speaking about his return, he said: ‘I will be on again this coming week. You know, they bring everybody back for the finale. We get to dance one more time.’
Asked if he was ‘excited’, he snapped: ‘No. No.’
If his feelings for the beloved ballroom show weren’t evident enough, when Gurvey’s co-host Kerri Kasem claimed she was ‘jealous’ of him being on the show, Feldman snapped: ‘Don’t be.’
