Maksim Chmerkovskiy is NOT here for Anna Delvey’s tango with stardom—or the cha-cha, for that matter—on Dancing with the Stars. You can practically hear him roll his eyes from across the ballroom floor. It’s like he’s been personally wronged by her quickstep.
So, here’s what happened on the magical Monday of Sept. 23 (cue dramatic music). Maksim, a 44-year-old dance machine who’s graced DWTS for 17 seasons—that’s right, the man’s basically a ballroom Gandalf—dropped by the TMZ Podcast to give his uncensored thoughts. Oh, and did he deliver! You thought your mom’s opinion about your TikTok dancing was harsh? Well, Maks is coming in hotter than a salsa dipped in Tabasco.
The pro dancer started off discussing the usual suspects the show loves to throw into the mix—legendary grandmas, retired athletes who still look better in spandex than the rest of us, and fresh-faced young stars who are one cha-cha away from TikTok fame. But then… Anna Delvey’s name entered the chat.
Maks’ reaction? Imagine the face you make when someone brings store-bought guacamole to your party—disgust, disappointment, and a little bit of “What were they thinking?” rolled into one. He immediately called out Dancing with the Stars for their controversial casting like, “Really? This is who we’re doing the cha-cha with now?”
“So, you want someone who’s gonna get people talking, right?” Maks mused. “And I get it. But come on, there’s like 100 other people with more personality and fewer ankle monitors!” Oh yes, you heard that right. Maks is fully dragging Anna’s ankle bracelet into the ballroom—because nothing says “dance icon” like a little bit of home-arrest bling.
And if you thought Maks might cut Anna a break, let me stop you right there. When asked if he was a fan of Anna Delvey, he shot back quicker than a Viennese waltz: “Absolutely not. Like, her job was literally being a professional liar. And now you’re giving her a spotlight where actual dancers have waited their whole lives to be?” The only thing missing here was a mic drop.
As for Anna’s dance debut, Maks kept the same fiery energy. Apparently, her cha-cha was less “wow” and more “meh.” Maks described her performance as “standoffish,” which is fancy talk for, “Girl, what was that?” He added, “You can’t blame nerves when your entire career was a masterclass in confidence. This lady conned people into thinking she was the queen of fashion. And now she’s shaking in her dancing shoes? Nah, I’m not buying it.”
His review of her dancing was about as subtle as a glittery ballroom gown: “She’s a sh-tty dancer.” Ouch. It’s like Maks took his dance shoes off just to throw them at her. And he’s not holding his breath for any ballroom miracles either. When asked how far Anna will go in the competition, he casually shrugged, “I don’t care.” Translation: Anna Delvey is not his idea of must-see TV.
So, if you’re tuning in to Dancing with the Stars hoping to see some ballroom drama, well, Maks just made it clear: Anna’s not bringing the heat—or the hips. But hey, you can still catch new episodes on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Maybe just don’t expect Maks to be watching.
