Glitz, glam, and celebrities summarize the popular dance reality series Dancing with the Stars quite well. The competitive show first premiered on June 1, 2005, and 33 seasons later, it’s still a massive success. The most recent edition wrapped recently, with television star Joey Graziadei winning the title. Rugby union player Ilona Maher was the runner-up of the season.
The reality series has had its fair share of controversies and dramatic moments. Everyone has been embroiled in drama, from the hosts to the judges and the contestants. Here are 5 such moments from the show.
Hope Solo accused Maksim Chmerkovskiy of maltreating her.
Former soccer player Hope Solo participated in Dancing with the Stars in 2011, during the 13th season. She accused her choreographer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, of maltreating her during rehearsals. The athlete claimed that the dancer used to push her, whacking her stomach and roughly bending her arms. Solo added that Chmerkovskiy left a red handprint on her stomach. He denied the claims and called her a “sh*tty person.”
Cheating rumors and marriage split.
In 2020, during season 29 of the celebrity reality show, Chrishell Stause and Gleb Savchenko were accused of infidelity. The latter’s wife, Elena Samodanova, filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage. She slammed Savchenko and stated that he was having an inappropriate relationship with Stause, which led to unresolvable issues in their marriage.
Artem Chigvintsev accused of domestic violence
In 2024, professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev was arrested after he was accused of domestic violence. He was released on bail, and his wife, Nikki Garcia, filed for divorce after dropping the charges and the restraining order. While Nikki has legal and physical custody of their son Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev, Artem still has visitation rights.
Julianne Hough’s fairness questioned
In 2014, Julianne Hough was announced as one of the judges of the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars. Karina Smirnoff questioned if it was fair for her to be a judge when her brother Derek Hough was a contestant. She added that while she found the judge “wonderful, gorgeous, and talented,” she didn’t think it was ethical for Julianne to judge while Derek was competing. Smirnoff ended up winning the season with J. R. Martinez.
Anna Delvey’s controversial casting
In 2024, during the show’s 33rd season, Anna Delvey’s casting led to much chatter and disapproval amongst the audience. For those unaware, she is a convicted con artist who has previously served a prison sentence on charges of grand robbery and theft. Delvey, also known as Anna Sorokin, was amongst the first two pairs to be eliminated.
Dancing with the Stars: How it works.
Dancing with the Stars features a celebrity paired with a professional dancer competing against the other pairs. A cumulation of votes from the audience and points from the judges decides who stays and who goes. The pair with the lowest total gets eliminated. The last couple standing becomes the champion of their respective season and wins the title.
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