‘DWTS’ Scandal: Celebrity Reveals Off-Camera Toxicity & Feuds

For years, Dancing With the Stars has sold viewers a single, polished idea: once a celebrity joins the cast, they’re stepping into a tight-knit family.

And to be fair, that’s what most contestants enthusiastically describe. Season 34’s group — from Robert Irwin and Alix Earle to Scott Hoying and Whitney Leavitt — has repeatedly talked about how quickly bonds form when you’re training seven days a week with the same people.

The public hears about friendships, group chats, inside jokes, and partnerships that last long after elimination night. That’s the version fans know. But it’s not the only version that exists.

One contestant has now stepped forward with a completely different perspective — one that slices straight through the glitter and into the mess beneath it. And because almost no one else this season has echoed these claims, the contrast has stunned longtime fans of the show.

The Other Side of the Ballroom

While many cast members gush about camaraderie, one celebrity says the real drama isn’t anywhere near the ballroom floor.

According to Corey Feldman, the true tension brews in the shadows — in the whispers, the headlines, and the relentless off-camera speculation that follows contestants long before elimination. Feldman didn’t simply hint at it. He laid it bare.

“There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes. Actually there, everything was great. But the behind-the-scenes drama and BS that people throw around that show, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the worst, like, most toxic. You start reading these things in the paper, like, ‘This person’s mad at this person. These people aren’t talking to each other.’ Or, ‘Are people working hard enough?’ ‘Corey Feldman destroyed the show. He destroyed the whole show because he was such an egomaniac it’s so difficult to work with.’”

It was a raw unloading — frustration, disbelief, and maybe even a little exhaustion rolled into one long exhale. And judging by the reaction online, fans weren’t expecting it.

A Fractured Experience Few Expected

Feldman insists his frustrations weren’t about the dance training or the cast interactions on set — that part, he said, was fine.

What shook him was the swirl of accusations, rumors, and narratives that grew louder every week, many of them coming from media chatter he felt painted an unfair picture.

He even mentioned checking with Jenna about some of the claims circulating. Her advice? Ignore it. And yet, ignoring it seems to have been harder than expected.

Whether Feldman’s take reflects a wider truth or simply his individual experience is something only future seasons — and future contestants — will reveal. But one thing is certain: when someone breaks the silence on a show known for unity, people pay attention.

The ballroom may shine bright under the stage lights, but Feldman’s story is a reminder that behind every glittering performance is a world fans rarely see — and one some contestants may never forget.

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