ABC A DWTS pro reacts to an alum's comments about him.
A “Dancing With the Stars” pro is responding after being called a “dick” by former Mirror Ball winner, Kaitlyn Bristowe. While giving Charity Lawson some feedback on the September 7, 2023, episode of her “Off the Vine” podcast, Bristowe commented on the teaching styles of the male pros, particularly Alan Bersten and Artem Chigvintsev.
“First of all, I never danced with Kaitlyn, so I don’t know why that would even come up. I take a lot of pride in my work and I make sure that above all else, my partners feel comfortable and confident in themselves,” Bersten told Us Weekly.
For season 32, Lawson has been partnered with Chigvintsev, who won season 29 with Bristowe. Bersten’s partner is Jamie Lynn Spears.
Here’s what you need to know:
Charity Lawson & Artem Chigvintsev Also Reacted to Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Comments
Bersten isn’t the only person who has responded to Bristowe’s comments, either. Both Lawson and her season 32 partner have shared their thoughts on the matter.
“[Kaitlyn] told me to have a lot of patience — which I do — but also that he’s just such a great teacher and that I’m going to learn so much, and I already have,” Lawson told Us Weekly ahead of the September 26, 2023, premiere.
Meanwhile, Chigvintsev didn’t take Bristowe’s comments negatively.
“Look, it’s all with a good intention. Because I know sometimes when we have someone who has a great potential, you want to bring it out of them. It worked for Kaitlyn — she won the mirrorball trophy,” he told the outlet.
Although Bristowe has admitted that she and Chigvintsev are no longer in touch, she usually has nothing about positive things to say about her experience on the show.
“It’s such a family over there. … The No. 1 thing I learned about myself in that process was how resilient I was. I was like, ‘My body is meant to do some crazy things. … If I can do Dancing with the Stars, I can have a baby. I can do anything,'” she told Us Weekly in October 2022.
“What’s funny is I actually feel like Artem and I had — it [was] like a business. And then we moved forward, and I haven’t really talked to him,” she added.
Kaitlyn Bristowe Attempted to Clarify Her Comments
After making her comments on her podcast, Bristowe took to her Instagram Stories to clarify what she meant.
On September 17, 2023, she did a Q&A and someone asked if she Bersten was “really a dick.”
“I can be a dick. We can all be dicks. Alan is one of my closest friends from the show. I have nothin but love and respect for him. I think it’s ok to be a dick and push people to believe in themselves and light a fire. If they did an all star season and they let me pick a partner, I’d pick him,” Bristowe shared.
But don’t look for that partnership to come to light any time soon.
On the April 10, 2023, episode of the “Trading Secrets” podcast, Bristowe told her now ex-fiance that she wouldn’t do an All-Stars season if the opportunity arose. She explained that she wouldn’t be able to “stand losing.”
“If it was, like, an all-star season and I lost? I’d be like, ‘am I a dancer?’ and then I’d go back into questioning myself,” she said.
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