Dancing With The Stars fans were stunned when Artem Chigvintsev announced that the show hadn’t renewed his contract for season 28. The dancer had been on DWTS and its British sibling, Strictly Come Dancing, for a decade. He found out he was fired just three days before the new cast was announced. Now, he’s speaking out about the real reasons why he was axed.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
Artem, 37, appeared on girlfriend
Nikki Bella’s podcast
The Bellas. “Getting this call and there's going to be no involvement with the show from now on, it's like going through a breakup over 10 years,” he said.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
The Russian dancer explained that there’s never any guarantee your contract will be renewed every season, but he had no reason to doubt his would be.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“In my mind, it's 99 percent that I'm going to be on, that's not even going to be a question mark in my mind,” he explained. But that certainty waned when his brother asked him who his partner was for the new season and he realized he didn’t know yet.
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“I dedicated 10 years of my life to that company and being let go three days before the announcement, that's like a punch in the stomach really. I can't let anyone decide my fate from now on,” he said, sadly.
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Nikki, 35, sympathized with her boyfriend, and also explained that keeping Artem in contract limbo for months had screwed with his bottom line, since the dancers don’t get paid when the show isn’t airing.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“They've been all unemployed since March. Here they're going to start to get their paychecks again in less than a week and they cut them and they get no compensation,” she told sister Brie about the situation the show put the fired dancers in.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“That made me really upset because how do you put people on hold and then cut them last minute? They missed out on fall jobs, all the fall gigs are booked. That part to me was so unfair. Cut them and give them compensation,” the WWE wrestler said.
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Photo credit: MEGA
Artem also shared his emotions about getting cut on Instagram. “I just want to say how sad it makes me feel not to be part of Season 28 of DWTS,” he wrote in part.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“It’s been 10 years since I have joined this absolutely, one of a kind, incredible show!” he said. “Even though this is so hard on me, I will be DWTS #1 fan, cheering you all on every Monday night! Good luck to everyone on Season 28!”
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Photo credit: MEGA
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
What do you think of Artem getting cut days before the announcement? Sound off in the comments!
Artem, 37, appeared on girlfriend
Nikki Bella’s podcast
The Bellas. “Getting this call and there's going to be no involvement with the show from now on, it's like going through a breakup over 10 years,” he said.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
The Russian dancer explained that there’s never any guarantee your contract will be renewed every season, but he had no reason to doubt his would be.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“In my mind, it's 99 percent that I'm going to be on, that's not even going to be a question mark in my mind,” he explained. But that certainty waned when his brother asked him who his partner was for the new season and he realized he didn’t know yet.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I dedicated 10 years of my life to that company and being let go three days before the announcement, that's like a punch in the stomach really. I can't let anyone decide my fate from now on,” he said, sadly.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Nikki, 35, sympathized with her boyfriend, and also explained that keeping Artem in contract limbo for months had screwed with his bottom line, since the dancers don’t get paid when the show isn’t airing.
“They've been all unemployed since March. Here they're going to start to get their paychecks again in less than a week and they cut them and they get no compensation,” she told sister Brie about the situation the show put the fired dancers in.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“That made me really upset because how do you put people on hold and then cut them last minute? They missed out on fall jobs, all the fall gigs are booked. That part to me was so unfair. Cut them and give them compensation,” the WWE wrestler said.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Artem also shared his emotions about getting cut on Instagram. “I just want to say how sad it makes me feel not to be part of Season 28 of DWTS,” he wrote in part.
“It’s been 10 years since I have joined this absolutely, one of a kind, incredible show!” he said. “Even though this is so hard on me, I will be DWTS #1 fan, cheering you all on every Monday night! Good luck to everyone on Season 28!”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
What do you think of Artem getting cut days before the announcement? Sound off in the comments!
Photo credit: INSTARImages
