“Dancing With the Stars” pro Jan Ravnik hit back at Maks Chmerkovskiy after the former pro questioned his ballroom dancing ability.
When asked how it felt to be praised by judge Derek Hough for a “fantastic” first season, Ravnik, 30, made sure to throw some shade.
“I’m a person who doesn’t appreciate hate or people who are spreading hate to stay relevant,” Ravnik told E! News Tuesday after his and partner Jen Affleck’s “Halloween Night” elimination.
His pointed comment comes days after Chmerkovskiy said Ravnik has “no business being a pro” on the hit dance competition series.
“There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional,” the former mirrorball champ insisted on his wife Peta Murgatroyd’s “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast last Friday.
“It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there.”
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Chmerkovskiy, 45, specifically bashed Ravnik’s choreography following his “Wicked Night” routine, claiming that the current pro “had no idea what foxtrot is supposed to look like.”
“How are you going to expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing? We had this criticism weeks ago, and I’m like, ‘Bro, is anybody going to explain it to him?’” he added.
The Latin ballroom dance champion said that although he has no personal vendetta against Ravnik, he firmly believes that he should have never been hired for the role.
Murgatroyd, 39, agreed with her husband, and even claimed that the only reason he was hired was because of his ties to Taylor Swift. Aside from being one of the pop star’s backup dancers on her record-breaking Eras Tour, he also appeared in her “Fate of Ophelia” music video.
“They hired him. He’s a Taylor Swift dancer. It’s the obvious reason why he is hired,” she alleged.
“Apart from that, he’s a lovely guy. He looks great. He obviously is a great dancer. Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”
The Slovenian native announced he was joining the ABC show back in August after becoming a fan-favorite for his sultry moves during the Eras Tour.
“Mirrorball never goes out of style, and we are ready to win it,” the hearthrob exclaimed on “Good Morning America” at the time.
Whether he will return for a second season of “DWTS” is still unknown.
