Gleb Savchenko is attempting to clear the air after his criticism of Dancing With the Stars pro Alan Bersten.
“I didn’t attack Alan at all,” Savchenko, 43, said in a recent TikTok live amid drama surrounding season 35’s Dedication Night. “Alan’s a good dancer for his niche. He’s great for his thing. But he can’t be compared to Val [Chmerkovskiy]. … I’m not talking trash, I’m just saying how it is.”
The dancer added, “Different styles, different technique, different s***. … I don’t wanna compare anybody, I think everybody’s great for their own thing. And it takes time to get better and better.”
Savchenko raised eyebrows earlier this month after Us confirmed Chmerkovskiy, 40, would not participate in Dedication Night following his controversial comments toward DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba. During Super Bowl Night on October 13, Inaba, 58, called out Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Johnson, for a lift in her samba with Harry Shum Jr. Chmerkovskiy took to social media to defend Johnson, 32, making a reference to Will Smith‘s infamous outburst at the 2022 Oscars when he slapped Chris Rock.
“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” he wrote in a since-deleted post.
Chmerkovskiy publicly apologized to Inaba, but BBC Studios ultimately benched him for one week of the competition. His season 35 partner, Jenna Dewan, danced with Bersten, 32, for the Tuesday, October 20, episode.
When Dewan’s new partner was revealed, Savchenko appeared to question the choice.
“Alan, I think he’s Alan,” he said in a separate TikTok livestream. “I mean, he’s just not up to the level of dancing, like, period. [The] quality, the technique. He’s a good dancer, I guess, for TV but if we talk about art? Like, creating art? He’s like, eh.”
Savchenko added that he didn’t “want to talk s***” about a fellow pro. “I don’t have anything against the guy, just, why Alan?” he continued. “Who else is there?”
Savchenko, who is not currently competing on DWTS, then suggested one of the troupe dancers could step in for Chmerkovskiy.
During Tuesday’s Dedication Night, Dewan, 45, earned her first 10 of the season after performing a sweet tribute to her mom, Nancy Smith, with Bersten. In an Instagram comment shared before the show, Chmerkovskiy thanked Bersten for joining Dewan in the ballroom.
“Thank you for stepping in and doing such an amazing job,” he wrote. “Jenna looks so good and most importantly happy. You’re my new favorite follow.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
