Artem Chigvintsev Opens Up About His 'DWTS' Exit, Calls It a 'Punch in the Stomach'
When the Dancing With the Stars 2019 cast was announced on Good Morning America on August 21, two familiar faces were left off the pro lineup — Sharna Burgess and Artem Chigvintsev. While Sharna has been rather cryptic about what happened and why she isn't returning to DWTS this fall, Artem has been very open about it all. By the sounds of it, the network's decision to not invite him back caught the longtime dancer completely off guard.
Why is Artem Chigvintsev leaving Dancing With the Stars?
According to Artem himself, he didn't find out he was cut from season 28 after 10 years on the program until days before Wednesday's GMA segment.
The pro dancer told Nikki Bella on her podcast The Bellas that he had been having "positive conversations" with the ABC dance show's producers in the weeks leading up to the cast announcement. While there was always a chance he wouldn't be asked back, he was "99% sure" he was going to be in the cast.
The Friday before the GMA announcement though, Artem hadn't heard from anyone on the DWTS crew. Knowing something was going on, he called around 10 a.m. that morning and was told that the producers would get back to him. Around 8 p.m. that evening, Artem said he got a text from an executive producer asking if he was free to talk. When they connected on the phone, the first thing Artem heard was "Hey, we have bad news for you."
Understandably, Artem is not thrilled with ABC's decision, and likened it to "going through a breakup after 10 years." Overall, "it was a massive shock."
“I dedicated 10 years of my life to that company,” he said. “And getting let go three days before an announcement, that’s like a punch in the stomach, really.”
The feelings he expressed to Nikki were reflective of the message he sent to his fans on Twitter and Instagram. While announcing his exit from the show, he said it made him "sad" to not be a part of the DWTS crew anymore and that it's been "so hard on me." Moreover though, he is still thankful for the opportunity.
A post shared by Artem (@theartemc) on Aug 21, 2019 at 6:06am PDT
"I have had so many beautiful memories with all of my celebrity partners! They have all shaped me into the person I am today," he wrote. "I will be DWTS #1 fan, cheering you all on every Monday night! Good luck to everyone on Season 28!'
Admiring Artem's positivity through it all, former pro Anna Trebunskaya, who competed on 11 DWTS seasons, spoke out on Facebook about the show's decision.
"There’s a huge casting process involved and a hierarchy of executives that decide these things and at the end of the day the pro dancers are a piece of that complex puzzle," Anna wrote. "We’re not the ones making executive decisions, but we contribute and play a part to this great machine. It’s part of Showbiz or any biz for that matter."
Meanwhile, Sharna, who also will not be coming back, said on an Instagram that she is "unbelievably sad" to not be coming back but promised that "it's all good."
"I can’t help but be grateful for the time and the journey that I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the incredible talent I’ve shared the stage with and the memories I’ve made," she said. "To say the least.. it’s been epic. ♥️"
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