‘DWTS’: Lacey Schwimmer Says Maksim Chmerkovskiy Made Her Cry With Comments About Her Weight
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Former Dancing With the Stars pro Lacey Schwimmer, who appeared on the ABC competition series for six seasons, has been opening up about her time on the show and the hurtful comments she received at the time about her weight.
Appearing on the latest episode of the Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast, hosted by fellow DWTS alum Cheryl Burke, Schwimmer touched on upsetting remarks made by ex-DWTS pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Louis van Amstel back in 2008.
“First, no one should ever, ever discredit somebody based off of their appearance. I don’t care if you’re skinny, fat, whatever. Ugly face, busted teeth — I don’t care what you look like. It has nothing to do with your talent or ability or what you are hired to do,” Schwimmer said, per People.
The pro dancer said that when she was on the show (from Season 7 to Season 13), it was before “women were able to speak freely” and celebrate their bodies. She explained that the dance community has changed its attitude towards body standards in recent years, but the comments made by “people I looked up to” at the time “literally broke my spirit.”
Lacey Schwimmer and Kyle Massey on DWTS; Adam Larkey / ©ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection
Schwimmer was referring to comments made by Chmerkovskiy and Van Amstel in a 2008 TV Guide magazine interview around the time of the seventh season, which was Schwimmer’s first time on the show.
“When I first saw these women this season, I said, ‘Guys, you know the camera adds 10 pounds.’ You have to do something about this,'” Chmerkovskiy stated.
Van Amstel added, “If [the viewers] watch someone who’s dancing her butt off and she’s still heavy, they can be discouraged. You have to take responsibility.”
“Oh, my God, it ruined me,” Schwimmer told Burke in regards to these comments from her peers. “I remember crying and crying and crying.”
Schwimmer exited DWTS after Season 13, where she was partnered with Chaz Bono. Prior to joining the ABC series, she was best known as a fourth-place finalist on the third season of So You Think You Can Dance.
Chmerkovskiy competed as a pro dancer on DWTS for 15 seasons, leaving after Season 26 in 2018. Van Amstel has appeared on 11 seasons of the show on-and-off since Season 1, most recently returning for Season 31 in 2022.
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