Dancing With the Stars pro Brandon Armstrong throws playful shade after Maks Chmerkovskiy questions Jan Ravnik’s dance skills

Brandon Armstrong addressed Maks Chmerkovskiy’s comments on Jan Ravnik’s dance skills during a TikTok live interview with fellow pro Rylee Arnold on the Tuesday, October 28 episode of Dancing With the Stars, as reported by Entertainment Tonight.

The discussion took place backstage before Ravnik’s “Halloween Night” performance. Armstrong and Arnold spoke with Ravnik about his viral TikTok lives, which have drawn attention from fans and co-stars.

During the conversation, Armstrong made a lighthearted comment referencing Chmerkovskiy and his wife, former DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd, saying,

“I don’t want to do this y’all, but I love PETA, like the group, like with the animals.”

The remark was noted by Us Weekly as a playful nod to the earlier controversy.

Brandon Armstrong responds to Maks Chmerkovskiy’s criticism of Jan Ravnik on Dancing With the Stars

Armstrong’s TikTok live interview with Jan Ravnik

During the live session, Armstrong acknowledged Ravnik’s TikTok content to Entertainment Tonight, noting that his videos had become "iconic" and that he was very well-known on social media for sharing his thoughts openly.

Arnold added that the videos were humorous and that she found enjoyment in watching them. Ravnik responded by explaining that his TikToks did not contain any "hate" and emphasized that he was not like other people who might spread negativity.

After laughing at the exchange, Armstrong continued with his reference to Chmerkovskiy’s wife by pointing to Ravnik’s bare feet and asking why he had “the dogs” out tonight.

Maks Chmerkovskiy’s criticism of Jan Ravnik

The comments that prompted Armstrong’s remarks occurred on the Friday, October 24 episode of The Penthouse with Peta podcast, as reported by Us Weekly, where Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd discussed Ravnik and his celebrity partner Jen Affleck.

Murgatroyd explained that Ravnik is a "Taylor Swift dancer," which she identified as the main reason he was hired, and described hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach a celebrity ballroom dance as "outrageous."

Chmerkovskiy added,

“Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars. There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. It is absurd. This is unreal — how blind we have to be to not say what’s obviously there.”

Chmerkovskiy clarified to Us Weekly that Ravnik was performing the role he was hired for, noting that it was not Jan’s "fault" and that he was doing what he was hired to do, adding that Affleck had no partner and that the situation was not Jan’s fault.

These remarks followed Ravnik’s first season on the show, during which he gained recognition for his work as a backup dancer on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Jan Ravnik’s response following Halloween Night elimination

After the live show on October 28, when Ravnik and Affleck were eliminated following a contemporary routine to Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do, Ravnik addressed the criticism in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying,

“I have no comment on that. Look, I got all the love on this show. All the pros, from the judges, also. Like everyone gave me so much love, and whoever saying outside, the people [who are] trying to stay relevant and spreading the hate, this is not a way to do it. And I never will spread or take the hate.”

He added that the criticism “just comes here and here,” using a gesture to show it goes in one ear and out the other.

Ravnik also told Us Weekly that everyone is entitled to an opinion, and he chooses whether to respect it or not, adding that people who want to stay relevant can continue to “hate.”

His final performance with Affleck received a score of 32/40, marking the end of their participation in the competition.

Stay tuned for more updates.