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Corey Feldman is shedding light on the off-screen tension he claims occurred during his short-lived experience on Dancing With the Stars.
In a sneak peek of an upcoming segment on the Gurvey’s Law radio show, shared by the Daily Mail, the 54-year-old actor from Goonies detailed what he referred to as a “toxic” atmosphere behind the curtain.
Feldman recounted, “There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes. On the set, 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.”
During his time on the show, Feldman was teamed up with professional dancer Jenna Johnson. However, their journey was cut short during a double elimination in week two after they performed a cha-cha to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”
He further clarified, “On the set, everybody gets along. Everybody’s great. Everybody’s happy. You’re working hard. You don’t even have time to look up. You’re just working.”
After the elimination, Maksim Chmerkovskiy — Johnson’s brother-in-law — told the Daily Mail that the dancer had been facing a “really difficult” time with her partner.
Feldman recounted that outside reports painted a very different picture. “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.’ ”
He said he asked Johnson about the coverage, and she reportedly rolled her eyes. “’Oh it’s just Max. Don’t pay attention to him. He just wants attention.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ ”
In a statement to People on November 22, Feldman clarified: “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.”
Feldman added, “I’m looking forward to getting back to rehearsals this week and can’t wait to dance with Jenna again. The DWTS family has been wonderful, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of it.”
Johnson also shared her gratitude on Instagram on September 24, reflecting on their time together. “Corey 💘 Our time together was cut short but I am SO grateful for the incredible weeks we did get to share,” she wrote alongside video clips from rehearsals. “Thank you for the giggles everyday in rehearsal, thank you for the hard work, and thank you for sharing your life lessons and memories with me! I’ll cherish our friendship forever. Never stop dancing.”
Feldman responded in the comments, praising his partner and addressing media negativity. “Thank U Jenna! U were an absolute joy to work with. I’m so sorry for any negativity the media is using to give the false narrative that our time together was anything less than enjoyable. U know as well as i do that i was there 7 days a week for the past 3 weeks, doing everything in my power to give U my best, even if the judges couldn’t see it. God Bless your family, Keep dancing the dream.”