Maksim Chmerkovskiy has issued an apology to new Dancing with the Stars pro Jan Ravnik for criticizing Jan's technique and ability to teach a celebrity partner on the show.

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Maksim -- a former DWTS pro who won Season 18 and occasionally served as a guest judge -- slammed Jan during a recent episode of his wife Peta Murgatroyd's "Penthouse With Peta" podcast by saying Jan had "no business" being cast on the show's 34th season as a pro partner.

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Maksim argued that Jan had "zero foundation, technique, quality, [and] understanding" of his partnership with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck and so Jen essentially had "no partner" this season.

Not only did Jen defend Jan and speak out against such "slander," but fans have been attacking Maksim for his harsh criticism of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour backup dancer.

"First and foremost, I want to apologize to Jan for the way my words made you feel [and] for hurting your feelings," Maksim, 45, began in a Thursday, October 30 TikTok video.

"There's a lot more that I want to say. I would like the opportunity to do it over coffee, or any kind of time you have to spare. I would love to meet, I would love to talk about this [and] bury the hatchet.

Maksim continued, "Also, most importantly, I think you're going to walk away knowing me and feeling completely different and -- dare I say -- [we] probably might even be friends. And to that point, I'm not not a friend, regardless of what I say."

Maksim attempted to explain his personality by saying that even when he loves someone, he will tell that person like it is. It's therefore even easier for Maksim to be blunt or critical of strangers.

"So my commentary on dance does not come with feelings and emotions. It just comes with [a] completely different range of reasoning, and I'm that guy. So I would like to explain myself, like I said," Maksim noted.

"I would like this to be personal, because [speaking through a TikTok video] is crazy to me."

Maksim said the second thing he wanted to touch on was "more ego-driven."

The So You Think You Can Dance judge elaborated, "You guys wanted me to be me. Well, you can't really hurt my feelings by saying, 'Look at you, loser. You only won [DWTS] once.' Yes, I know that more than anybody else."

Maksim added with a laugh, "I'm also very well aware that every single member of my family has won Dancing with the Stars more than I have. They are much better at Dancing with the Stars than me."

Maksim -- who used to be dubbed "The Bad Boy of the Ballroom" -- went on to describe the difficulty he had competing on 17 seasons of Dancing with the Stars.

"The part of Dancing with the Stars that I was never able to really wrestle with and dominate is the public perception, the public opinion, and what people think about me," Maksim recalled.

"Fundamentally, I don't care -- and I lead with that. And because I lead with that, I'm not fighting for anybody's votes. So, in a platform where that's important, I'm not the guy."

Maksim also admitted he had "made incredible mistakes" with some of his Dancing with the Stars celebrity partners.

"[I made mistakes] with how I presented myself a few times with the loss of my temper and horrible situations, a few times. So, you know, it's not like you're saying stuff that I don't already know or have been through. I'm 45 and I have kids. I try to only lead by example," Maksim explained.

"Because of that, I can point at myself and say, 'Don't do that.'"

Maksim insisted he's "very honest" and "very black and white" in life.

"So it may be late in the game, but when I realize something about myself, I realize it. It's not going to be because somebody says that to me. It's because I finally understand that for myself," he said.

Maksim asked of Jan fans, "Please don't come at me for how many times I won or lost and what that means or doesn't mean."

He concluded, "The participation in Dancing with the Stars comes with that, with the keyboard and the Internet. People can hurt when they voice their opinion. Let's not defend someone by attacking somebody else. That's all I'm going to say."

Jan's time on Dancing with the Stars, however, has already come to an end.

Jan and Jen were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars during its Halloween-themed episode on October 28.

Following his ouster, Jan spoke to Us Weekly about Maksim's biting remarks.

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"I mean, look, everyone has an opinion. Everyone has a right to have an opinion," Jan told the magazine.

"Haters are going to hate, and whoever loves us, loves us. What am I going to do? You can't change their mind. Everyone can have opinions, either I respect or don't respect. If they want to stay relevant in that way, yeah, let them hate."


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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