Bristol Palin said that there was one dance professional on Dancing With the Stars who she didn’t get along with very well.
Bristol, 33, appeared Sunday on the Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast with one-time DWTS professional Cheryl Burke, where she spoke about her experience on the ABC ballroom competition.
The Wasilla, Alaska-born reality star told Burke, 40, that during her time on the show’s 11th season in 2010, she felt ‘tension’ emanating from one of the show’s stalwart dance pros.
Bristol – the daughter of former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin – would go on to finish third in the competition as she was paired with pro dancer Mark Ballas, 38.
Bristol said that she had tension with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, 44, who she said would roll his eyes during the segments in which she would get saved from being eliminated despite other pairs getting better scores from the judges.
Bristol Palin, 33, said that there was one dance professional on Dancing With the Stars who she didn’t get along with very well
Bristol was pictured in September 2010 on the set of the ABC show in LA
‘Maks? He hated me so much,’ Bristol said of Chmerkovskiy, who had been paired up with singer Brandy that season. They finished fourth, while Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough went on to win.
Asked by Burke what the issue was between her and Chmerkovskiy, Bristol said, ‘I don’t know, probably just because we kept going through.’
Bristol said Chmerkovskiy had been ‘real nice at the beginning,’ but things got progressively more pointed the further she advanced through the competition, and that she ‘definitely felt the tension from’ the Ukraine-born dance pro.
She added, ‘I forgot about that.’
Chmerkovskiy’s rep told Entertainment Weekly in a statement: ‘Maks doesn’t hate anybody. For [Palin] to say that would be a mischaracterization of his feelings.
‘I think he and everyone else in America, 14 years ago, thought that he and Brandy were on their way to winning that year, if not coming into the finals.’
Chmerkovskiy’s rep said that ‘there was a bit of disappointment when she leapfrogged him into the finals … it’s a competition. He’s very competitive and took it seriously.’
Bristol would go on to return to the ballroom floor two years later for the show’s lone Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars season that aired in 2012.
Again paired with Ballas, the duo finished in ninth place, with The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft emerging victorious.
Bristol said Chmerkovskiy had been ‘real nice at the beginning,’ but things got progressively more pointed the further she advanced through the competition, and that she ‘definitely felt the tension from’ the Ukraine-born dance pro
Asked by Burke what the issue was between her and Chmerkovskiy, Bristol said, ‘I don’t know, probably just because we kept going through’
Bristol said that she felt ‘tension’ from Maksim Chmerkovskiy, 44, pictured in LA in 2022
![Chmerkovskiy's rep said in a statement: 'Maks doesn't hate anybody. For [Palin] to say that would be a mischaracterization of his feelings.' Pictured in April in LA](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/27/05/88962885-13782739-image-a-65_1724734230751.jpg "Dancing With the Stars: Bristol Palin Reveals Pro Who 'HATED' Her 13")
Chmerkovskiy’s rep said in a statement: ‘Maks doesn’t hate anybody. For [Palin] to say that would be a mischaracterization of his feelings.’ Pictured in April in LA
Bristol said that appearing on the ABC competition buoyed her with confidence that she can ‘step out of my comfort zone’ and ‘put myself out there.’
On the podcast with Burke, Bristol said ‘it was really hard’ having her weight constantly speculated on during her run on the series.
‘I mean, my weight fluctuates,’ Bristol said. ‘It was like everyone was talking about my weight, and then I was stressed out about my weight.
‘I felt like I was just eating even more and gaining even more weight. It was just like a vicious cycle and it affected my confidence so much for years to come because it was such a topic.’
She cited an instance in which comic Kathy Griffin called her the ‘white version of Precious,’ referring to Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe, 41.
Said Bristol: ‘It was all over the news for a while. It just bugs me so bad because I would be so upset if somebody was talking about my daughter like that. Obviously I knew I was gaining weight, and just for her to say something like that was, “Oh, OK.”‘
In a caption on Instagram, Burke said she wanted to express her ‘gratitude and admiration’ for the ‘candid conversation’ they engaged on on her podcast.
Dancing With the Stars 33rd season is set to debut on ABC and Disney+ September 17, landing on Hulu the next day.
On the podcast with Burke, Bristol said ‘it was really hard’ having her weight constantly speculated on during her run on the series
The Wasilla, Alaska-born reality star would go on to finish third in the competition as she was paired with pro dancer Mark Ballas, 38 – who was NOT the dance pro she had ‘tension’ with
Bristol and her mother Sarah Palin pictured in 2018 on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors
Bristol said that appearing on the ABC competition buoyed her with confidence that she can ‘step out of my comfort zone’ and ‘put myself out there.’ Pictured with Mark Ballas in 2010
Bristol earlier this month said she was leaning on her faith amid a difficult time as her eldest child Tripp Johnston has moved back to the family’s native Alaska to live with his father – her former fiancé Levi Johnston – and his current spouse Sunny Johnston.
After Bristol, who is currently based out of Austin, Texas, revealed the teenager moved in with his father, she shared a devotional from a Gospel book titled New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional on her Instagram Stories August 15.
The post came as Levi’s wife Sunny Johnston, 32, shared a shot of Tripp, 15, and Levi, 34, hunting while declaring how Tripp’s move marked a ‘dream’ scenario for both father and son.
‘Well! According to my news feed, cats out of the bag,’ Sunny said. ‘Yes, Tripp is living full time in our home in Alaska. We couldn’t be happier he’s getting to live out his dream of living with his dad!
‘This has been Levi’s dream as well. It’s been a surreal feeling to be a complete family for longer than just school breaks like it has been for years.’
Bristol is mother to three children: son Tripp with Johnston, and daughters Sailor Grace, eight, and Atlee Bay, seven, with ex-husband Dakota Meyer, 36.
Sunny posted an image of Tripp, who is headed into 10th grade, alongside his three sisters Breeze, 13, Indy Rae, eight, and Delta Jo, five, with their respective classes on the ‘first day of school.’
Bristol expressed her heartbreak over her son Tripp Johnston’s decision to leave her family home in an emotional Instagram post on August 14.
Levi’s wife Sunny Johnston shared a shot of Tripp, 15, and Levi, 34, hunting while declaring how Tripp’s move marked a ‘dream’ scenario for both father and son
Bristol shared a devotional from a Gospel book titled New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional on her Instagram Stories earlier this month
Sunny posted an image of Tripp, who is headed into 10th grade, alongside his three sisters Breeze, 13, Indy Rae, eight, and Delta Jo Johnston, five, with their respective classes
She posted an image of her two daughters on the doorstep of their home to commemorate their first day of school on Wednesday, while detailing the changing dynamic in her family.
Bristol posted an image of her younger two daughters in the post, with text explaining how she’s dealing with the move.
‘This has been the hardest “first day of school“ yet with one of the biggest pieces of my heart missing,’ Bristol said. ‘Tripp has decided to finish out high school in Alaska to be closer to his dad and our entire family.
‘If you know Tripp, you know he lives for hunting/fishing and I honestly can’t blame him for wanting to be back home.’
Bristol said she was doing her best to cope with the change. She said, ‘As hard as it is has been to come to this decision – it’s truly not about what I want.’
Bristol cited her son growing older and the value of him spending time with his father in explaining how she’s handling the family issue.
‘He’s almost 16 years old and that relationship with his dad is a lot more important than my own selfish desires of having him with his mama forever!’ Bristol said.
Bristol said she was still highly emotional about the situation, and hoping for as seamless a transition as possible.
Levi and Sunny posed in 2020 with Tripp and their three daughters
Sunny, like Bristol, works in the real estate industry
‘I can’t talk about it yet without crying,’ Bristol said, ‘but selfishly praying for a quick year and easy transition for us.’
Bristol was thrust into the national limelight in 2008 amid her mother’s vice presidential campaign alongside then Republican presidential candidate, late Arizona Sen. John McCain.
She appeared at the Republican National Convention in September 2008 alongside Johnston, as her pregnancy with Tripp when she was 17 made headlines, amid her mother’s swift rise to political prominence as McCain’s running mate.
Beyond the campaign, her relationship with Johnston remained in the public eye amid a pair of engagements before they eventually split for good.
Bristol made headlines in 2009 when she signed on for a $262,500 position to serve as an abstinence ambassador for a teen pregnancy prevention organization called The Candie’s Foundation.
‘Abstinence is the only way you can effectively 100 percent prevent pregnancy,’ Bristol said in a 2009 Good Morning America appearance. ‘It’s the safest choice and it will prevent teen pregnancy and a lot of heartache.’
Bristol in March of 2015 revealed she was engaged to Dakota Meyer, a Medal of Honor winner as a Marine. After calling off their engagement, they wed in 2016, prior to Meyer filing for divorce in 2018.
In her 2011 book Not Afraid of My Life, Bristol dubbed Levi a ‘gnat’ who had ‘stolen her virginity’ after she had been consuming alcohol.
Appearing on Good Morning America in June of 2011, Bristol clarified she was ‘not accusing Levi of date rape or rape at all.
Bristol expressed her heartbreak over her son Tripp Johnston’s relocation to Alaska from Texas via Instagram Stories Wednesday. Pictured in May of 2022 along with her son Tripp, 15, daughters Sailor Grace, eight, and Atlee Bay, seven, and ex-husband Dakota Meyer, 36
An emotional Bristol was pictured September of 2019 as she was baptized
She posted an image of her two daughters on the doorstep of their home to commemorate their first day of school, while detailing the changing dynamic in her family
‘I’m looking back with adult eyes and thinking, that was a foolish decision,’ she said. ‘I should never have been underage drinking, and I should never have gotten myself into a situation like that.’
The statements triggered legal activity in which Johnston requested for hearings to be publicized ‘as a check against anyone’s need to be overly vindictive, aggressive, or malicious.’
Johnston said, ‘Not that Bristol would be that way, nor would I. But her mother is powerful, politically ambitious, and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive…So, I think a public case might go a long way in reducing Sarah Palin’s instinct to attack.’
Johnston in November of 2013 filed court docs to have joint custody of Tripp, saying it had been in the child’s best interests, after Bristol previously had been awarded full custody.
Bristol said that the court filing had been a move to impact child support payments, as he had been $66,000 behind on his slate at the time.
Bristol posed with her daughters as they headed off for their first day of school
Bristol and her then high school sweetheart Levi were thrust into the public eye after her mother Sarah Palin announced the 17-year-old was pregnant at the 2008 Republican National Convention
Bristol and Levi called off their engagement in March 2009, just three months after their son, Tripp, was born on December 27, 2008
Bristol would again take Johnston to court saying that he had not demonstrated he was fit to be a parent.
Bristol said Johnston hadn’t had visits with a young Tripp, and squandered his earnings on vacations, luxury vehicles and hunting trips as opposed to his child support obligations.
In addition to her work on Dancing With the Stars, Bristol also appeared on the Lifetime TV series Life’s a Tripp and MTV’s Teen Mom OG in 2018.
