{"id":337956,"date":"2025-10-28T08:19:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T08:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/337956\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T08:19:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T08:19:15","slug":"dwtss-jen-affleck-defends-jan-ravnik-after-criticism-from-former-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/337956\/","title":{"rendered":"‘DWTS’s Jen Affleck Defends Jan Ravnik After Criticism From Former Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tDancing with the Stars<\/a> competitor Jen Affleck rushed to the defense of her pro dance partner Jan Ravnik after the latter was slammed by alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who alleged the former Taylor Swift backup dancer had \u201cno business\u201d being on the show.<\/p>\n

\n\tChmerkovskiy, who was on the show for 17 seasons prior to his departure in 2018, gave his harsh opinion during a recent podcast appearance on The Penthouse with Peta<\/a>, which is hosted by his wife, fellow pro dancer and two-time DWTS<\/a> champ Peta Murgatroyd. <\/p>\n

\n\tAs Murgatroyd brought up certain critiques of Affleck and Ravnik\u2019s foxtrot \u2014 highlighting positives and areas of improvement \u2014 during the past week\u2019s Wicked-themed night, Chmerkovskiy joked that he wanted to leave to avoid the topic.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHe\u2019s learning. He\u2019s learning slowly. It\u2019s his first season,\u201d Murgatroyd said of Ravnik. \u201cWe have to give him grace for not understanding foxtrot technique. It\u2019s very hard to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cNo, we don\u2019t,\u201d Chmerkovskiy, who won the show in 2014, replied. \u201cNo, we do not have to give him grace. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?\u201d He continued, complimenting Murgatroyd on her astute commentary, maintaining it\u2019s \u201ca skill I do not possess at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on\u00a0Dancing with the Stars. There\u2019s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership,\u201d Chmerkovskiy continued. \u201cBro, I\u2019m getting emotional. It is absurd. And this is unreal, how blind we have to be, and, God forbid, say what\u2019s obviously there \u2014 he had no idea what [a] foxtrot is supposed to look like. How are you gonna expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tChmerkovskiy added that he had similar critiques \u201cweeks ago\u201d and was hoping someone would step in to help guide Ravnik\u2019s work. He maintained there was one performance \u201cthat delivered some sort of direction \u2026 and then it just [went] off the cliff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThough the alum said he has nothing against Ravnik \u201cwhatsoever,\u201d he called his casting \u201ca missed opportunity,\u201d saying Affleck has \u201cno partner\u201d to guide her. Murgatroyd added she feels \u201cbad\u201d The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is \u201cnot getting taught the basics,\u201d and the couple concluded she is at a \u201cmajor disadvantage.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tSeemingly in response, Affleck posted a TikTok earlier today<\/a> depicting her standing up for Ravnik online, as she pantomimed typing furiously in the comments section on social media. \u201cMe when anyone talks trash about Jan,\u201d read the text on the clip. The audio of the video borrowed the \u201cTake It Down\u201d meme<\/a> from motivational speaker Dr. Umar Johnson, as Ravnik lip synced, \u201cTake it down. Take it down. Take it down. We need it gone. Take it down. That doesn\u2019t represent me or what we need to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n