Disney/Eric McCandless

Are ‘DWTS’ Partners Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy Feuding? They Address the Rumors

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 12:37 PM ET

Dancing With the Stars fans had concerns about Alix Earle and Valentin Chmerkovskiy‘s working relationship during the show’s Tuesday, October 21, episode. After performing for Wicked night, Earle and Chmerkovskiy barely interacted, and many fans even wondered if their dance to “What Is This Feeling?” was a mirror of their own relationship.

Following the live show, the influencer addressed the speculation head-on. “You know, online, people say a bunch of stuff, but I can say, behind the scenes, it’s all love,” Earle told Us Weekly. “I feel like there’s a lot of fans online this season, which I know is newer and just … it keeps growing as the show grows.”

Regarding the speculation about their song choice, she added, “I’m so happy we got the song we did, and it was really fun for us to kind of tap into that.”

@alixearleI think I’m just getting my period and I’m sleep deprived HAHA♬ original sound – Alix Earle

Rumors of tension between Earle and Chmerkovskiy began circulating earlier this season. In a September TikTok video, Earle said, “It’s so funny because I feel like we’re becoming besties. I think we both just have sarcastic personalities and maybe we need to chill that out because it does make us look like we hate each other.”

Throughout the season, Earle and Chmerkovskiy have consistently scored toward the top of the leaderboard, although they’ve never nabbed that No. 1 spot. However, Earle’s scores have been improving each week. Most recently, she earned a 35 out of 40 for her jazz routine on Wicked night.

Next up, the remaining nine couples will get into costume for Halloween night on October 28. Earle and Chmerkovskiy will be dancing a tango to Billie Eilish‘s “Bury a Friend.”

“I want to keep pushing myself to do better each week,” Earl told Us Weekly. “And I think looking around [at] everyone else in the competition and their dances, everyone’s so good and so talented, and it’s so fun to watch everyone just keep continuing to surprise themselves every week.”

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: