Dancing With the Stars pros Jan Ravnik and Rylee Arnold seemingly bonded over shots fired their way by Maks Chmerkovskiy.
In a backstage TikTok interview with Brandon Armstrong and Arnold, 20, during Tuesday, October 28’s Halloween Night episode, Ravnik, 30, was asked about his “unhinged” and candid TikTok Live videos.
“Your Lives have become iconic,” Armstrong, 31, said, before Arnold added, “They’re very funny, I find enjoyment in them,” and Ravnik pointed out, “There’s no hate in my TikToks. I’m not like some other people.”
The dig seemingly referred to Chmerkovskiy, 45, being unimpressed by Ravnik’s inaugural season on the ABC dance series, which the former DWTS pro voiced during the Friday, October 24, episode of the “Penthouse With Peta” podcast.
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.”
