Dancing with the Stars professional ballroom dancer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, is making no bones about refusing to apologize for controversial comments to judges made during a recent episode of the ABC reality series.
The Ukrainian ballroom champion and coreographer hit the airwaves bright and early on Wednesday to clarify an apology made following a critique of his performance on Monday night.
“I don’t regret anything,” he told Good Morning America. “I’m misunderstood a little bit in this situation.”
Chmerkovskiy slammed judges on Monday for their alleged impartiality, and singled-out judge Len Goodman,67, whom he suggested should retire.
“I definately have nothing to apologize for to Len, (and) certainly not to Carrie Ann,” he told Good Morning America host Robin Roberts on Wednesday.
The dance pro did apologize on the air Monday for implying that the ballroom reality show was “my show.”
Although he did not directly address judge Carrie Ann Inaba on Monday, who chastized him after his comment to Goodman, Chmerkovskiy said Wednesday that he seems to feel she may be stirring the pot in the wake of his comments.
“She can make all of these faces all that she wants,” he said.
Low judges scores and viewer phone-in votes nearly eliminated Chmerkovskiy and celebrity dance partner, professional womens soccer player, Hope Solo, from the competition on Tuesday.
Chmerkovskiy’s frustration, Monday (Oct. 24), was not only on behalf of berated partner Hope Solo, but what he felt was impartiality by judges toward competitors.
“(The judges) say stuff that they think is funny, but it’s nothing that is constructive at all, and we can’t say that they’re wrong,” he told GMA.
Among the controversial comments made by Chmerkovskiy on Monday, he implied that judges unfairly afforded certain celebrities points for “effort” even though they “walk” around the dance floor.
Chmerkovskiy cited the lack of free speech afforded him in his native Ukraine as the reason for his unrepentance.
“Seventeen years ago, I was given an opportunity to live in a country where I can actually exercise my freedom of speech. What people don’t know is that where I grew up, it was impossible. So, I’m a winner, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.