'Dancing With the Stars' Maksim Chmerkovskiy defends himself
Is the Dancing With the Stars WeightGate brouhaha over yet? Not so fast, says Maksim.
Pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy wants to set the record straight that the reported comments he made about Cheryl Burke and Lacey Schwimmer's weight in TV Guide were "taken completely out of context."
It's true that looking back at the story, his one line was only tacked on to all of the more pointed comments made by fellow pro Louis van Amstel.
According to People, Chmerkovskiy denies actually criticizing the women specifically, rather that he made a general comment about "how excess weight on the body takes its toll on the joints, the lower back."
Says Chmerkovskiy: "I am outspoken but I do not discriminate how people look. That's the great thing about ballroom --- unlike jazz and ballet --- it doesn't discriminate. People of all shapes and sizes and levels of ability can take part in ballroom dancing."
Since the TV Guide article, however, Chmerkovskiy has been receiving hate mail. Nevertheless, he maintains a good relationship with his fellow dancers and will even perform with Burke next week.
So is Maksim off the hook? How about Louis? Some people doubt that Cheryl is actually a Size 4. What do you believe?
Sure it is possible the remarks by Louis and Maks were for real and cruel but I find it easier to believe that gossip/entertainment mags took things out of context to make a story. These guys know they would be attacked and hated for blasting a womens weight. And they work with Cheryl and Lacey all the time, why would they want to make everything uncomfortable? Louis wrote a huge post on his blog about how this was taken out of context, blown up and how he even received an apology from a reporter.
Sure Its possible they are just jerks but after reading other sources I'm inclined to believe the media wanted a juicy story and there had already been talk going around of people commenting on Cheryl's looks this season and they played off of that.
Let's all get over this and worry about more important things like how many dancers will be on the floor and not in the hospital.
Now that Lacey and Julianne are sidelined, will Cody and Lance become partners?
Who cares about Cheryl's size 8 or whatever she is!!! I'm still upset that Toni Braxton and Alec Mazo were voted off before Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i believe Chmerkovskiy (okay Maks you're off the hook with me), not so sure about Louis but also willing to give him the benefit of the doubt....
and i agree Cloris should've been off earlier.
I think Louis is jealous of the fame attained by Cheryl during DWTS. He is a great ballroom dancer and choreographer, but has never gotten the attention Cheryl, Maks, Julienne and the rest of the pros have enjoyed. I think his comments were just feeble attempts at the recognition his inflated ego needs.
The guy still sounds like a jerk to me. I don't watch this show, but I have heard the brouhaha over the contestants. Granted being excessively overweight is dangerous. I don't think anyone would doubt that. But these ladies are far from overweight, they are not fat. Quite frankly hey aren't even a normal size. They are to skinny. This gentleman should also know that being excessively underweight also carriers with it a slew of medical problems.
Not to mention what this does to the young women who watch this show and others and then have to hear that women like this or Jennifer Love Hewitt are to fat. I guess unless you look like a refugee from a concentration camp, you're fat. If you actually watch this crap then you should be watching it for people's dancing abilities, not what they look like. This is exactly why I don't watch "reality" shows.
in my opinion cheryl is still pretty smokin, no matter what her weight/size really is. she seems pretty fine out there on the floor too. same for lacey. i don't know what to make of the comments but...i think to certain extent they probably were taken a bit out of context. still fellas, gotta be smart with what you say.
Whatever size she is she looks great, and Laci too.
If they're taken out of context, so let it be..
As one posted, Amsterl though he is a very good dancer and choreographer, he never enjoyed the attention of world-wide fans, but that the reaction of fans which nobody has control. Amstel can get more attention if he adds a little meat on his skinny frame so he can look sexy..
Being too underweight also is a cause for medical problems, lke anorexia or malnourishment. So if Cheryl
and Lacey are 'fat', then email ABC to recruit all those starving folks in Africa to be dancers..this is not funny, the photos are actually used to promote what poverty and malnourishment can do a human being..
As for Maksim, I'm glad he's not dating either Cheryl or Lacey(they deserved better).
Maks can enjoy the past feast of Mario Lopez - Karina, she's one sexy lady thoug.
Press can spin anything any way they want and I do believe Maxim. His comment makes sense - any physical activity takes toll on the joints and the heavier body they carry, the harder the strain. So it's a completely inncocent comment, but it got attached to Amstels more pointed remarks, and of course this comment only applies to people who are objectively overweight.
I feel sorry for Max.
And the press should never print such garbage in the first place. We should care no more for Amstel's comments than any person off the street. The press just wants to create controversy and get readership.