Dark Secrets Dancing With The Stars Pros Tried To Hide

The following article includes mentions of substance abuse, child abuse, and eating disorders.

The professional dancers who appear on "Dancing with the Stars" have mastered the art of dazzling viewers with glitz, glamor, fancy footwork, and flawless spray tans. Many of them have starred on the ABC reality competition for years, whereas the show's cast of celebrity contestants changes each season. However, viewers learn a lot more about the lives of the stars as they progress on the show than they do about its pros.

Thanks to a "DWTS" theme night that has the celeb competitors revisit the most memorable years of their lives, we've heard about some of their darkest moments, including talk show host Ricki Lake losing her home to a fire, Olympian Amy Purdy having both legs amputated after she contracted bacterial meningitis, actor Jodie Sweetin's struggle with substance abuse, and the tragic death of Bindi Irwin's beloved father, Steve Irwin.

We've also seen controversial celebrity contestants with scandalous pasts try to redeem themselves: Paula Deen competed after she confessed to using racial slurs, and Sean Spicer traded a podium for a puffy shirt after telling a few fibs as Donald Trump's White House press secretary. But the celebs on "DWTS" aren't the only ones who have survived adversity and scandals. So dim those ballroom lights and retract that disco ball: We're taking a deep dive into the dark secrets of the show's pros, whose pasts and personal lives are rarely explored on the reality series.

How long the "Dancing with the Stars" pros stay in the competition is tied not only to the technical ability of their partners, but to the celebs' popularity as well, so when a star behaves badly, there's an incentive for the pro not to address it in front of the "DWTS" cameras. Sometimes, however, they can't prevent leaks about some behind-the-scenes drama.

For example, David Hasselhoff was allegedly a real hassle to work with. When the "Baywatch" star competed on Season 11 in 2010, an insider told Us Weekly that he was a diva who constantly changed his rehearsal schedule and engaged in other demanding behavior, disappointing his partner, Kym Johnson. "His people would call staffers 20 times a day. ... At first, Kym thought getting Hoff as a partner was quite a coup, but then quickly realized it was a mistake," the source dished.

Kym was also allegedly on the receiving end of a tantrum when "Family Matters" star Jaleel White was her partner in 2012. A source told Us Weekly that White yelled at Kym, "got in her face," and told her she was an "idiot" — all because she had reacted when he stepped on her foot. The insider claimed that producers, pro dancer Mark Ballas, and celeb Donald Driver all attempted to intervene. The report about White's alleged behavior got so much attention that he later had to tell People, "It was completely exaggerated."

One negative aspect of being a professional dancer that "Dancing with the Stars" viewers don't hear about on the show is how the pressure to look good in those skimpy costumes can cause female pros to suffer from body image issues and struggle with eating disorders.

When "Spy Kids" star Alexa PenaVega competed on the show in 2015, she opened up about how she "struggled with bulimia" after movie producers told her to lose weight, per E! News. But rather than share their similar stories on "DWTS," the show's pros have turned to other outlets. In 2008, Lacey Schwimmer told Access Hollywood that she developed anorexia when she was just 13 years old, at the beginning of her dancing career. "I was really, really scary thin," she said.

Another pro, Karina Smirnoff, began competing when she was a toddler, and she told OK! that "trying to be in a certain weight class" made her engage in unhealthy behaviors to lose weight when she turned pro as a teen. "I didn't eat for two weeks and after that I was so nervous because I was about to do a competition and I had no energy and my body started reacting in a way that I hadn't experienced before," she recalled. Jenna Johnson, meanwhile, told Woman's Day she once struggled with body image issues that made her "super, super depressed," but she developed a healthier mindset when she stopped comparing herself to others.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Sharing the secrets of a show that producers don't want viewers to know could be a career killer for a "DWTS" pro, but plenty of stars who have competed for the mirrorball trophy have spilled the tea about what goes on behind the scenes. They've even suggested that some moments on "Dancing with the Stars" are fake.

Outspoken talk show host Wendy Williams was paired up with Tony Dovolani for Season 12, and in 2014, she shared a big "DWTS" secret with Today. "When they put you in the room and you have to talk to the camera about your experience ... they script what you say," she dished. Some contestants have also complained about misleading editing being used to manipulate viewers. "The show's producers cut it to make it look like I was going after [my competition]," NFL legend Emmitt Smith told Esquire in 2012. "And they didn't even show the entire clip. That's the power of cutting and editing." He and his partner, Cheryl Burke, would finish fourth during their All-Star Season.

In her book, "Solo: A Memoir of Hope," Hope Solo claimed that her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, "wanted to cause some drama" in hopes of preventing their alleged planned elimination (via Radar). Former pro Chelsie Hightower also suggested that some dramatic moments are manufactured. "After 19 seasons, people start to catch on as to what works and what they think the audience wants," she told the Sioux City Journal.

Cheryl Burke and Julianne Hough have talked about a topic that fans probably won't hear the "Dancing with the Stars" pros discuss on the show: the abuse they suffered as children. 

In 2015, Cheryl appeared on the TLC special "Breaking the Silence" to talk about child molestation. As recapped by People, she spoke about her molestation by a neighbor when she was growing up. At age 6, she was forced to face her abuser in court, where her testimony was used to convict him after he got caught attempting to sexually abuse another child. "It was so terrifying to see him face to face," Burke recalled. In a 2011 interview on "Piers Morgan Tonight," she revealed her abuser was someone she trusted and even considered a "fatherly figure," saying that she initially didn't tell anyone about what was going on because she "didn't want to get him into trouble."

Hough was also reluctant to speak out against her abuser, telling Cosmopolitan she feared it would hurt her dancing career. "I was abused, mentally, physically, everything," she revealed in her 2013 interview with the magazine. She shared few other details about what happened to her, but did say that she was 10 years old at the time and attending a prestigious dance school in London. According to Star magazine (via Radar), the parents of pro dancer Mark Ballas were allegedly upset about her claims because she had lived with them while she was in London.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

In an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Cheryl Burke listed her "Dancing with the Stars" partners who have suffered injuries, saying she's at least somewhat responsible for them. The possibility of this happening is something the show's pros might not want potential celebrity competitors to know about, and the rigorous competition can cause physical issues long after all the confetti has been swept from the ballroom floor.

"Ray Lewis was my partner last season. First football player to ever get injured. My fault," Cheryl said. Her past partners' injuries list also includes Tom DeLay's two fractured feet and Cristián de la Fuente's broken arm. "I don't think that you're the best person to promote yourself as a dance partner," Clarkson quipped.

Sometimes the injuries celebs suffer on the show are so serious that they require surgery. "Dirty Dancing" star Jennifer Grey didn't just take home the mirrorball trophy in 2011 — she also left with a ruptured disc that caused her extreme pain. Luckily, she underwent a successful surgical procedure to repair it, per People. Bill Engvall also earned a few battle scars because he dared to put on his dancing shoes. The "Blue Collar Comedy" tour star had to have knee replacement surgery after making it all the way to the Season 17 finale. He told MLive the experience was "brutal," adding, "I don't think people ever see the dark side of 'Dancing with the Stars.'"

Val Chmerkovskiy and Rumer Willis teased viewers with their adorable "showmance" when they paired up for Season 20 of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2015, and they kept viewers guessing about the status of their relationship all the way to the finale, where they emerged victorious.

In a May 2015 interview with E! News, Val paid his fellow champ a compliment that made her giggle. "It's awesome, the fact that I can enjoy Rumer's aesthetically proportionate, beautiful physique. It's just a bonus," he said. Rumor had it that the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis became quite smitten with Val, but he eventually let her know he wasn't interested in her romantically. "Rumer has been upset lately because Val finally told her he won't ever date her," an insider told Radar that June.

Rumer reportedly got a tattoo to celebrate her and Val's victory, but after he broke her heart, she apparently couldn't bear to look at it anymore. "Now she feels like a fool, so she's now undergoing this painful tattoo removal," one source told Page Six in January 2018. She allegedly struggled to accept Val's relationship with his fellow pro dancer, Jenna Johnson, whom he would marry in 2019. But Rumer didn't cut Val out of her life forever; in 2021, the former dance partners reunited for a Dance & Co interview that saw them take a look back at their performances.

While Derek Hough always exuded confidence during his many seasons on "Dancing with the Stars," there was a dark period in his life when bullies made him feel insecure and fearful. But worse than that, they threatened his life. In an appearance on the "School of Greatness" podcast, he revealed that he was just 6 years old when his bullies (who were also his neighbors) began tormenting him. "They would hang me up in a tree by my feet upside down," he said. "Would spit on me; they put a gun to my head, tell me they were going to kill me." He also recalled how they would "hogtie" him and abandon him "in a field."

Dance proved to be a real lifesaver for Derek, and he would go on to exact the ultimate revenge on his bullies by becoming a massively successful choreographer, actor, and musician — he even teamed up with TikTok star Jaxwritessongs to record a funny duet about bullying.

Derek also used his past experiences to help the victims of bullies, giving them advice and hope while accepting the Inspiration Award at GLSEN's Respect Awards in 2014. "Let me tell you right now, you are not alone," he said, per E! News. "Seeking help requires incredible strength and incredible courage. The most powerful weapon you have against bullying is your voice."