‘Dancing With the Stars’ Is On the Chopping Block With New Season in ‘Total Chaos’ (Exclusive)

The new season of Dancing with the Stars is in total chaos due to raging egos and a lack of commitment from contestants, as is being reported. A source tells Star that bosses are worried it could spell the final death knell for the show, which has been on its last legs for quite some time.

“They’ve got a mixed bag of contestants this season and the feeling is bosses have chosen very badly and didn’t properly vet them enough. Corey Feldman, in particular, is causing chaos behind the scenes,” the source says. “He’s a loose cannon and doesn’t want to do the work and it’s had a knock down effect on the other cast.”

The source adds that many of the other stars featured in season 34 are “following his bad example” and that there’s “too much goofing around and not enough rehearsing.” All of this has led to people “feeling sorry for the pro-dancers and what they have to put up with this season.”

This isn’t the first time DWTS has experienced shakeups on the set and with the cast. Last season featured convicted felon Anna Delvey and in 2024, longtime professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev was arrested for domestic violence. (The charges were later dropped.) Plus, in 2020, longtime host Tom Bergeron was fired along with Erin Andrews.

“The ratings have been on the upswing since the show moved to a hybrid broadcast and streaming model, but there have been too many scandals to date,” the source continues. “This was seen as a make-or-break season, and everyone was counting on this being their best but unfortunately, it’s not going well, and confidence is plunging. DWTS is an expensive show to produce with celebrity and pro dancers’ salaries, and there’s a fair amount of pressure on bosses to justify these costs, so these lackadaisical contestants are the last thing the show needs.”