“Dancing With the Stars” alum Maks Chmerkovskiy has issued an apology to current pro Jan Ravnik for criticizing his ballroom dance ability, even extending an invitation to meet in person.

“There’s a lot more that I want to say. I would like an 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,” Chmerkovskiy expressed.

The 45-year-old dance champion explained that the main reason for wanting to meet the 30-year-old Slovakia native face-to-face is because he believes Ravnik would walk away “feeling completely different” about the situation. “Dare I say we possibly might even be friends,” he added.

Chmerkovskiy clarified that his comments—often deemed harsh by many “DWTS” fans—were not personal but simply reflected his personality. “If I love you I will tell you how it is, let alone if I don’t know you,” he said. “My commentary on dance does not come with feelings and emotions, it just comes with a completely different range of reasoning.”

After wrapping up his apology directed at Ravnik, Chmerkovskiy moved on to address the backlash he received online. Admitting this next point was “more ego driven,” he called out critics who bashed him on social media.

“You can’t really hurt my feelings by saying, ‘Look at you loser, you’ve only won once.’ Yes, I know that more than anybody else,” he insisted.

Reflecting on his 17 seasons as a pro on the hit dance competition, the choreographer acknowledged his own shortcomings. “Part of ‘DWTS’ that I was never able to really wrestle with and dominate is the public perception, the public opinion, and what people think about me. Fundamentally, I don’t care and I lead with that, and because I lead with that, I’m not fighting for anybody’s votes.”

He also owned up to making “incredible mistakes with [his] partners” and having episodes of “loss of temper,” which led to a few “horrible situation[s].” Chmerkovskiy shared that since becoming a father, he tries to “only lead by example.” This growth allows him to admit his wrongdoings and dismiss negativity from “people with keyboards” online.

“Let’s not defend someone by attacking somebody else,” he concluded.

Chmerkovskiy’s apology comes just days after Ravnik appeared to subtly defend himself following his and partner Jen Affleck’s elimination on Tuesday.

“I’m a person who doesn’t appreciate hate or people who are spreading hate to stay relevant,” Ravnik told E! News.

The feud between the dancers started last Friday when the Ukrainian-born instructor called Ravnik’s casting “absurd” during an appearance on his wife Peta Murgatroyd’s “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast. He specifically criticized Ravnik’s choreography following his “Wicked Night” routine, claiming the current pro “had no idea what foxtrot is supposed to look like.”

Although Chmerkovskiy tagged Ravnik in his apology video, the Eras Tour dancer has yet to publicly respond.
https://pagesix.com/2025/10/30/celebrity-news/maks-chmerkovskiy-apologizes-to-dwts-pro-jan-ravnik/