Dancing with the Stars competitor Jen Affleck rushed to the defense of her pro dance partner Jan Ravnik after the latter was slammed by alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Chmerkovskiy alleged that the former Taylor Swift backup dancer had “no business” being on the show.
Chmerkovskiy, who competed on Dancing with the Stars for 17 seasons before his departure in 2018, shared his harsh opinion during a recent podcast appearance on *The Penthouse with Peta*, hosted by his wife, fellow pro dancer, and two-time DWTS champion Peta Murgatroyd.
During the episode, Murgatroyd brought up critiques of Affleck and Ravnik’s foxtrot performance from the previous week’s Wicked-themed night, highlighting both positives and areas for improvement. At one point, Chmerkovskiy joked that he wanted to leave to avoid the topic.
“He’s learning. He’s learning slowly. It’s his first season,” Murgatroyd said of Ravnik. “We have to give him grace for not understanding foxtrot technique. It’s very hard to watch.”
“No, we don’t,” Chmerkovskiy replied. “No, we do not have to give him grace. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?”
He went on to compliment Murgatroyd on her insightful commentary, admitting it was “a skill I do not possess at all.”
“I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing with the Stars. There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd. And this is unreal, how blind we have to be. God forbid, saying what’s obviously there—he had no idea what a foxtrot is supposed to look like. How are you gonna expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing?”
Chmerkovskiy added that he had similar critiques “weeks ago” and was hoping someone would step in to help guide Ravnik. He recalled that there was one performance that “delivered some sort of direction…and then it just went off the cliff.”
Though he emphasized he has nothing against Ravnik “whatsoever,” Chmerkovskiy called his casting “a missed opportunity,” stating that Affleck has “no partner” to guide her.
Murgatroyd agreed, adding that she feels “bad” as she believes *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* star is “not getting taught the basics.” The couple concluded that Affleck is at a “major disadvantage.”
https://deadline.com/2025/10/dwts-maksim-chmerkovskiy-jan-ravnik-pro-dancer-jen-affleck-1236599591/