Corey Feldman Disputes Claims Partner Jenna Johnson Struggled During ‘DWTS’ Run
LOS ANGELES, CA – Corey Feldman is pushing back against assertions made by Maksim Chmerkovskiy that his Dancing with the Stars partner, Jenna Johnson, had a “arduous time” working with him during their brief stint on the show.The actor, who was eliminated after the second episode, claims Chmerkovskiy’s comments are inaccurate and contribute to a false narrative surrounding his dedication to the competition.
Chmerkovskiy, brother-in-law to Johnson, told the Daily Mail ahead of Wednesday’s elimination that Johnson was experiencing a challenging partnership with Feldman, stating, “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.” Feldman vehemently disagrees with this assessment.
Sources close to Feldman previously told Page Six that accusations of laziness in rehearsals were unfair and that the actor was “pretty defeated” following his elimination. These sources further suggested that Feldman’s focus was impacted by ongoing media coverage surrounding Charlie Sheen and his new Netflix docuseries, “aka Charlie Sheen,” which revisited allegations Feldman made about Sheen’s alleged abuse of the late Corey Haim.
“Corey showed up every day and worked his ass off,” a source stated to Page Six.”The most upsetting thing is the narrative that he didn’t show up and that he and his partner Jenna [Johnson] didn’t get along.”
Chmerkovskiy had also suggested that Feldman’s experience with choreography might have been a factor, saying, “I think that it’s a combination [of technique and work ethic]. Maybe [learning choreography is] not such a comfort zone for him.”
Feldman has not yet publicly addressed Chmerkovskiy’s comments directly, but his representatives have indicated he intends to set the record straight regarding his commitment to Dancing with the Stars. The controversy adds another layer to feldman’s recent public scrutiny, stemming from his long-running efforts to expose alleged misconduct within the entertainment industry.
