Corey Feldman made headlines this weekend when he made some bold claims about the behind-the-scenes culture on Dancing With The Stars — but now the show’s celebrity contestants and professional dancers are coming to its defense.
The former child star, 54, was the first eliminated on this season of the reality competition series. During a preview for an upcoming episode of the Gurvey’s Law radio show, obtained by the Daily Mail, Feldman claimed the BTS culture was “toxic.”
“There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes,” Feldman said. “Actually there, 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.”
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After People posted Feldman’s claims to Instagram, several former celebrity contestants and professional dancers took to the comment section to refute his claims.
“🧐🤔🤐🤥,” commented pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, who is married to Feldman’s dance partner Jenna Johnson. “How odd… 🧐.” wrote former pro Sharna Burgess.
“Such a lie! its the most welcoming experience,” said season 32 contestant Lele Pons. “Never experienced anything toxic when I was on the show.” wrote season 18 runner-up Amy Purdy.
“There is nothing toxic on the show. It’s such a welcoming family,” commented season 32 contestant Mauricio Umansky. “In my experience … @dancingwiththestars has one of THE BEST production families in the biz. Forever grateful ❤️.” said season 31 finalist Shangela.
“I only had the best memories come from my time on DWTS. From the producers, to the makeup team to the camera men to the dancers, everyone was so kind and respectful. It was literally a dream experience,” added season 25 runner-up Lindsey Stirling.
RELATED: ‘DWTS’ Contestant Hints at Major Career Move After Being Eliminated
During the radio show, Feldman clarified that his negative experiences had nothing to do with the cast and crew, noting his professional dance partner Johnson was “wonderful.”
“It’s nobody there on the set. Like there on the set everybody gets along,” he explained. “Everybody’s great. Everybody’s happy. You’re working hard. You don’t even have time to look up. You’re just working.”
He continued, “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.’”
Feldman also shared that all the eliminated couples were coming back to perform for the show’s finale on Tuesday, Nov. 25, but that he was not looking forward to being back on the ballroom floor.
Dancing with the Stars airs LIVE on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+ and streams next day on Hulu.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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