Jenna Johnson and Corey Feldman are struggling to make their partnership work behind the scenes of Dancing With the Stars, according to her brother-in-law Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
“All the cast show up, you know, all smiles and say how great they are together and ‘we’re friends’ and blah, blah, blah, but that’s surface,” Chmerkovskiy, 45, told the Daily Mail in an interview published on Tuesday, September 23. “Sometimes it’s not the case.”
Maksim — who is the older brother of Johnson’s husband and fellow pro, Val Chmerkovskiy — then seemed to confirm rumors of offscreen tension between her and Feldman, 54.
“Obviously, Jenna has a bit of an uphill climb with Corey, which is easy for everybody to say from [outside], but I know that she’s having a much more difficult time with this entire thing and to the point that it is really difficult for her,” Maksim added.
While Maksim emphasized his support for Johnson, 31, he also urged Feldman to appreciate her, especially since she won the previous season of Dancing With the Stars with partner Joey Graziadei in 2024.
“I wish her all the best. We’re here. Obviously, we’re all together if you need to be, but you’re talking about a reigning champ, so put some respect on the name, everybody,” he concluded.
Rumors about Johnson and Feldman’s partnership began after she revealed she didn’t know where he’d been since the season 34 cast announcement on September 3.
“So many people have been like, ‘Where are your TikToks with Corey? What’s happening?’ To be completely honest, I actually haven’t seen him since Good Morning America,” Johnson replied to a fan via Instagram earlier this month.
Days later, Johnson posted a video of herself and Feldman in the rehearsal studio, where they referred to themselves as “best friends.”
Johnson and Feldman made their dance floor debut during the Dancing With the Stars premiere on September 16. They received a score of nine out of 20 for their tango to “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” by Billy Joel.
Ahead of Tuesday’s episode, Johnson praised Feldman via Instagram, writing, “Beyond proud of you Corey and all the hard work you put into this week.”
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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