Corey Feldman Details DWTS’ “Behind-the-Scenes Drama”

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Corey Feldman isn’t dancing around his feelings.

Corey Feldman, known for his role in The Goonies, has shared his negative experience on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars. He said the show had some “toxic” aspects and was eliminated during the second week.

He described a lot of unnecessary drama and negativity happening behind the scenes, saying it was unlike anything he’d ever witnessed. While things appeared fine on the show itself, the off-camera conflicts were excessive, according to a preview clip from the November 23rd episode of Gurvey’s Law obtained by the Daily Mail.

Although the 54-year-old claimed everyone on the set of the show got along—he was partnered with professional dancer Jenna Johnson during his time on Dancing with the Stars—he noticed the public perception was different.

He went on to explain that you see stories in the news about conflicts. Things like people being angry with each other or refusing to communicate. He specifically mentioned a report about Corey Feldman, claiming Feldman ruined a show because he was arrogant and hard to collaborate with.

Corey responded to remarks made by Jenna’s brother-in-law, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who told the Daily Mail that Jenna faced challenges with Corey after they were eliminated in September.

Corey remembered asking Jenna, “What’s causing this?” She responded by rolling her eyes and saying, “It’s just Maks trying to get attention – don’t worry about it.”

After the cast for this season was revealed, rumors circulated about a disagreement between Corey and Jenna. However, Corey later expressed his appreciation for being partnered with her after filming wrapped.

He thanked Jenna in a comment on her Instagram, writing, “You were a joy to work with! I’m really sorry the media is creating a false story about how much fun we had together.”

For more behind-the-scenes tidbits from Dancing With the Stars, keep reading.

In 2019, Variety reported that contestants on Dancing With the Stars initially earn around $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show, with earnings increasing weekly if they continue. Sources at the time said the maximum payout could reach $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones, who won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018, claimed he made significantly more.

On Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast in September 2025, Bones revealed the pay structure: no money for the first episode, $10,000 for the second, then increasing to $10,000, $20,000, and eventually $50,000 per episode if a contestant lasts. He stated he ultimately earned around $400,000 from his time on the show, in addition to a base salary of about $110,000.

ABC has not officially confirmed these reported figures.

Details about how much the professional dancers earn aren’t widely known. However, like the celebrity contestants, it appears they make more money the further they progress in the competition.

Even if a pro dancer is eliminated early on, they still receive payment.

According to Jenna Johnson, speaking on the June 2025 episode of The Morning After podcast with Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester, pros are guaranteed pay for a certain number of weeks, though contracts can vary. She clarified that she couldn’t speak for all the dancers.

It seems professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars don’t earn extra money for winning the show, even though they receive the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. However, there’s still a financial benefit to reaching the finale. According to pro dancer Cheryl Johnson, who has won with both Adam Rippon and Joey Graziadei, making it to the end means getting paid for the entire season, plus a bonus. Winning doesn’t come with a large cash prize to split with a celebrity partner—it’s more about the trophy and the experience.

That doesn’t seem to be what happened. Dancer Lindsay Arnold shared on the 2022 podcast Trading Secrets that her pay was reduced by more than half when she moved from being a professional dancer to a troupe member.

Professional dancers have very little say in who they’re paired with on shows like ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Lindsay explained on the ‘Hot Smart Rich’ podcast that the pairings are simply assigned, and dancers are expected to make it work. Jenna added on ‘The Morning After’ that the pairings are kept secret until the last minute to capture a genuine reaction. The show aims for surprise – dancers don’t even know who their partners are beforehand, despite what people might think. According to former showrunner Rob Wade, the matching process considers height, body type, personality, and overall compatibility. The goal is to avoid pairing people who won’t get along, as the experience is too intense for everyone involved – the celebrity, the show, and the viewers. They’ve learned from past mistakes where incompatible pairings created a miserable experience.

Dancing with the Stars requires a huge time commitment. Rylee Arnold, who partnered with Stephen Nedoroscik in season 33, explained on the Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis that rehearsals typically last four hours, either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. But the work doesn’t end there – she often meets with producers, works on choreography, or studies dance videos. Rylee says her entire life revolves around the show, but she loves it and finds it fulfilling. The schedule is demanding, with rehearsals happening Tuesday through Sunday after show day, and camera blocking on Mondays before starting the cycle again.

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in an Instagram video in September 2025 that they were mostly in agreement, but it involved working with the show’s producers.

If you think the quickstep dance is fast-paced, you should see how quickly the costume department works! Costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider that they collaborate with set, lighting, and dance teams to create a unique story for each contestant’s outfit. Then, they have just five days – often only half a day per costume, before even adding decorations – to create everything. It’s a large operation with around 20 people in the department, plus an external tailor shop.

Steven Norman Lee, another costume designer, revealed that dancers often don’t try on their costumes until just hours before the show. While they might occasionally reuse pants for male dancers, most costumes are made from scratch each week.

Gschwendtner added that they do reuse items for group performances or promotional photos, but never for the actual competition. They aim to provide each dancer with a fresh, new look every week to keep things exciting.

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2025-11-22 23:18