Former DWTS Pro Sets the Record Straight on ‘Beef’ With Derek Hough

Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy says he was never enemies with  Derek Hough, but was instead his fierce competitor.

In a November 2024 interview on Harry Jowsey’s ‘Boyfriend Material” podcast, Chmerkovskiy was asked if he ever had an off-camera “beef “with anyone on the ABC celebrity ballroom show.

“I mean we all beefed at some point,” he admitted, before addressing past rumors about his rivalry with Hough. “You know it’s so cute, like people think that Derek and I were lethal enemies always, and you know, [expletive] hated each other. I literally texted today at 6:30 in the morning like to me, Val [Chmerkovskiy], Mark [Ballas], and Derek, like ‘Yo we should go play pickleball.”

“I mean so you know the reality is that when you’re in…we were so consumed, we were so competitive we’re so [expletive] in it you know?” he added. “You got somebody winning mirrorballs.  I also want to win, you know what I’m saying, next season.  I like you as a person but I [expletive] hate you as a competitor, you know? Like, those feelings got, I guess, looked at.”

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There Were Rumors That Maks & Derek ‘Hated’ Each Other

Chmerkovskiy and Hough were two early pro dancers on “Dancing With the Stars” and have a long history together. During his career as a DWTS pro dancer, Chmerkovskiy won one mirrorball trophy while Hough won six times.

In 2011, a source told Us Weekly that the two ballroom dancers did not get along.”They hate each other,” a show insider said at the time.

“The professional dance community is really small,” added another insider. “The dancers have known one another their entire lives. Now that the group is famous, it’s added a whole other level of rivalry and competitiveness.”

In 2016, Chmerkovskiy told Us Weekly there was no beef between him and Hough. “I don’t have a rivalry with Derek. Derek may have a rivalry with me, but I don’t have one,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with Derek. The producers have changed, and it’s different now,” he added of the ballroom dynamic.

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Maks Chmerkovskiy Has Beefed With Some of His Partners

On Jowsey’s podcast, Chmerkovskiy admitted he had “a couple of beefs” with his celebrity partners. “I was like ‘Yo, the show is over, I really don’t want to see any of you, you know? And I would be happy if you don’t want to see any of me.’”

Chmerkovskiy specifically touched on his relationship with past partner, Hope Solo. “My relationship with Hope Solo, you know, then it was just it got worse, and there’s a few [other] people,” he said of the Olympic soccer player.

According to The Wrap, Chmerkovskiy had a difficult partnership with Solo in 2011. She accused him of being rough with her during their rehearsals and he described her as a “bad person” during a podcast interview.

Speaking with Jowsey, Chmerkovskiy noted that “Dancing With the Stars” casting director Deena Katz didn’t always pair him with the right person. “Deena is fantastic…but sometimes she did miss it, you know,” he said. “Some misses were like, ‘Babe, why would you think that this person and me would be great in a room together?’”

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