“Dancing With the Stars” has produced friendships, romances and unforgettable performances during its long television run, but life behind the ballroom glitter has not always been peaceful. Several celebrity contestants, professional dancers and judges have found themselves involved in disagreements that continued long after their seasons ended.
One of the most memorable controversies involved Amber Rose and Julianne Hough during Season 23 in 2016. Rose was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and performed a provocative salsa to Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea’s “Booty” when a comment from then-judge Hough created an unexpected controversy.
Hough said that part of the performance made her feel “uncomfortable.” Rose later explained that she interpreted the comment as being directed toward her body rather than her dancing and said the moment left her feeling body-shamed and embarrassed.
Hough strongly denied that interpretation. She explained that her criticism concerned the energy of the performance and had nothing to do with Rose’s appearance. The women later discussed the misunderstanding on the show, apologized to each other and ended the disagreement with a hug.
Another uncomfortable relationship developed between Hannah Brown and judge Carrie Ann Inaba during Season 28. Brown felt some of Inaba’s critiques were becoming personal, while Inaba maintained that she was pushing the former “Bachelorette” star because she believed she could improve.
Their tension became especially emotional when Inaba visited Brown and professional partner Alan Bersten during rehearsals. Brown became upset and pulled away when Inaba attempted to comfort her, making it clear she did not want physical contact at that moment.
The two eventually talked through their differences, and Inaba continued encouraging Brown as the competition progressed. Their story ultimately ended positively, with Brown and Bersten winning the Season 28 Mirrorball Trophy.
A far more lasting fallout involved Cheryl Burke and her Season 4 celebrity partner Ian Ziering. Although the pair reached the semifinals in 2007, Burke revealed years later that she had found their partnership extremely difficult and described Ziering as her least-favorite celebrity partner.
Some of Burke’s later comments about the experience generated considerable criticism, particularly after she used insensitive language involving self-harm while describing how badly she wanted their time on the competition to end. Burke subsequently apologized publicly and later specifically apologized to Ziering and his family, acknowledging that her remarks had been completely out of line.
Perhaps the most serious dispute involved Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who competed together during Season 13. In her 2012 memoir, Solo alleged that Chmerkovskiy had been physically rough with her during rehearsals and described incidents in which she claimed he pushed, struck and handled her aggressively. Chmerkovskiy disputed her characterization and later made strongly critical comments about Solo.
Chmerkovskiy was also involved in a very different falling-out with Kirstie Alley. The two initially developed an unusually close friendship after finishing second together during Season 12 and later reunited for the show’s All-Stars season. However, Chmerkovskiy revealed in 2014 that Alley had stopped communicating with him, reportedly because of people with whom he had begun associating.
Despite their estrangement, Chmerkovskiy continued to speak warmly about what their friendship had once meant to him. Following Alley’s death in 2022, he shared an emotional tribute expressing regret that they had not spoken more often. These stories show that some of the most dramatic “DWTS” moments happened far beyond the judges’ scores—with misunderstandings repaired, apologies arriving years later and other fractured relationships never fully returning to what they once were.
