Renowned Dancing With the Stars professionals, Jan Ravnik and Rylee Arnold, appear to be forming a strong camaraderie amidst criticisms from fellow dancer Maks Chmerkovskiy.

During a behind-the-scenes TikTok interview featuring Brandon Armstrong and 20-year-old Arnold during the Halloween Night episode on Tuesday, October 28, Ravnik, 30, was asked about his candid and lively TikTok Live sessions.

“Your Lives have become iconic,” commented Armstrong, 31. Arnold chimed in with, “They’re very funny; I enjoy them,” to which Ravnik responded, “There’s no hate in my TikToks. I’m not like some other people.”

This remark appeared to be aimed at Chmerkovskiy, 45, who had expressed his disapproval of Ravnik’s debut season on the popular ABC show. Chmerkovskiy shared his thoughts on the October 24 episode of the “Penthouse With Peta” podcast.

Meanwhile, Jen Affleck seemed ready to defend her dance partner, Jan Ravnik, against Chmerkovskiy’s critiques. However, the pair ultimately chose to maintain a positive stance. On Monday, October 27, Affleck, 26, posted a TikTok video featuring herself and Ravnik enjoying a break, subtly dismissing the criticism with grace.

Ravnik’s comment led Arnold to place a hand on Ravnik’s shoulder and assure him that, “It’s OK, we can do this together.” (Arnold was also the target of criticism from Chmerkovskiy during the podcast recording as he said it was her unfulfilled job to create “spectacular” performances with partner Scott Hoying.)

Ravnik and Arnold then threw their heads back and laughed together at her comment as Arnold kept a hand on Ravnik in a gesture of emotional support.

Despite the backstage antics, Ravnik and his partner Jen Affleck were sent home on Tuesday night after their contemporary dance to Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” scored just 32 out of 40.

Following the elimination, Affleck, 26, positively reflected on her DWTS journey. “This experience has meant everything to me, I cannot wait to talk about this in the future with my kids,” the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star said into the mic. “I did this for my kids and I’m so grateful for the experience.” (Affleck shares three children with husband Zac Affleck: Nora, 4, Lucas, 2, and Penelope, 3 months.)

Ravnik’s cheeky backstage reference comes after Chmerkovskiy said on his wife Peta Murgatroyd’s podcast that “Jan has absolutely no business” as a DWTS pro. “There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional,” he said. “It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there.”

Chmerkovskiy then spoke directly to Ravnik and Affleck’s foxtrot during the previous week’s Wicked Night, claiming that Ravnik had “no idea” what the foxtrot entitled. (Ravnik and Affleck earned 32 out of 40 from the judges that week.)

“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?” Chmerkovskiy said. “We had this criticism weeks ago, and I’m like, ‘Bro, is anybody going to explain it to him?”

As for his remarks about Arnold, Chmerkovskiy claimed he was not having a dig at her while discussing her and Hoying’s elimination at the end of Wicked Night. “He was completely undertaught,” Chmerkovskiy said. “I believe that this is a matter of experience for Rylee to understand that, in this case, he needed her to be facing him, looking at him and making him learn and making him repeat and place his hands. Rylee, where she comes from, knows what cleaning means. So, they didn’t have time to clean, then you spend too much time over choreographing the situation.”