‘DWTS’ Pro Louis van Amstel Defends Maks Chmerkovskiy After He Criticizes Jan Ravnik (Exclusive)
Dancing With the Stars pro understands what was trying to say about .
“There was a little riff going on about Maks criticizing Jan, but then that was big of Maks to go on social media and invite Jan publicly to go for coffee, to talk it up,” Louis, 53, exclusively shared with
Maks, 45, first made headlines when he appeared on Peta Murgatroyd‘s “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast. While chatting with his wife, the Dancing With the Stars alum questioned how Jan, 30, got a spot as one of this season’s professional dancers.
“I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars,” Maks claimed. “There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there.”
On Thursday, October 30, Maks publicly apologized to Jan in a TikTok video and expressed hopes that they could one day be friends.
From Louis’ perspective, Maks wasn’t criticizing Jan as a human.
“It’s more about the ballroom dance experience,” he explained to
If people don’t think Jan should be a professional dancer on the ABC reality show, Louis suggested that they should take it up with someone else — like producers.
“Do I agree with Maks that Jan has no ballroom experience and no teaching experience in ballroom dancing? Yes,” Louis continued. “And Maks always says what many people think, and I will always back him up like his brother, Val. You can disagree with him all you want, but he says what most people are thinking.”
In a separate interview with Access Hollywood, Val Chmerkovskiy said he will always have his brother’s back — even if he doesn’t agree with his remarks regarding Jan.
“You don’t have to like what he said. I don’t have to agree with what he said,” he explained. “But I’m always going to stand up for him.”
Regardless of any drama, Louis is excited to have the opportunity to return to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom for the show’s upcoming 20th Birthday Party episode on Tuesday, November 11.
Louis — who is the creator of LaBlast Fitness — helped launch the show in 2005 when he partnered up with The Bachelorette’s Trista Sutter. He went on to dance with several contestants over the years, including
“Most memorable was season nine [with] Kelly Osborne,” Louis recalled. “That was a journey for the books. That not only affected her. It affected me profoundly. It affected so many people who watch the show. Her weight loss was secondary, but seeing her blossom from the ground up to a princess, and I just love her and her family so much.”
RHOC’s Alexis Bellino Shares Why Gretchen Can’t “Move Past” Feud With Tamra, Calls Shannon a “B**ch” and Says She’s “Obsessed” With John
Alexis Bellino shared why Gretchen Rossi allegedly can’t “move past” her feud with
Last season, Alexis was in a new relationship with John, her now-husband. Though she wasn’t asked back for the new season, her name continues to be brought up. In the latest episode, Shannon was upset that certain co-stars continue to trust Alexis, who was accused of being John’s mouthpiece during his $75,000 lawsuit against Shannon (before Shannon chose to settle).
Meanwhile, in the new season, Alexis’ former friend Gretchen is feuding with Tamra over their years-long drama. In the past, Tamra allegedly suggested that Gretchen’s husband, Slade Smiley, was a deadbeat dad.
“Why can Tamra move past something that happened 12 years ago and Gretchen cannot?” asked Alexis on Reality with The King. “Why can I look past something 12 years ago that happened with Tamra and now have a great friendship with her, and Gretchen cannot? Why can
Vicki and I butt heads and become friends again because we talk it out, and Gretchen cannot? … This is not day-to-day life, people. We all know that … So why is it that everyone can seem to put on their big girl panties and move on, and Gretchen cannot? Because Slade has it out … for Tamra, because of the deadbeat-dad thing.”
Later on, Alexis threw shade at Shannon.
“What Shannon doesn’t understand is that I don’t talk about her. Did you hear how many times she brought up John’s name or my name on this episode?” said Alexis. “She can’t stop because she has no storyline, and I’m now married to the man that she obviously is obsessed with … What I’m not okay with is all the crap that she tries to talk about him. And then going further, it’s like she says, ‘What Alexis has done to me.’ Okay, b**ch … I ain’t done s**t to you. What has happened is you were caught on video several times, not just once on the DUI night, being a f**king monster.”
“The only thing I did was stand up for my man, whom I married and I’m going to be with for the rest of my life,” she added. “I supported him in suing the woman that owed him $75,000. But she’s like, ‘I didn’t owe him.’ Well, guess what? [To] any idiot that believes that — she’s not going to bow down unless she knows she’s going to lose … We have the evidence.”
