Corey Feldman Says ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Has a Toxic Side — And Hollywood Is Finally Listening
Corey Feldman is speaking out about what he calls a “toxic” behind-the-scenes culture on Dancing With the Stars, raising fresh questions about reality TV’s working conditions and how much emotional pressure is too much in the name of entertainment. His criticism arrives just weeks after his elimination, adding a new chapter to ongoing debates over contestant welfare on high-profile dance competition shows.
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Corey Feldman’s ‘DWTS’ Toxicity Claims: What They Reveal About Reality TV’s Dance Floor
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Feldman says he’s “never seen anything like” the environment behind the glittery curtain of the long-running ABC hit. It’s a sharp contrast to the show’s family-friendly ballroom image—and a reminder that the sparkliest reality franchises can still have very real workplace problems.
How Corey Feldman Ended Up on the Dancing With the Stars Ballroom Floor
Corey Feldman is no stranger to the spotlight. As a former child star of 1980s staples like The Goonies, Stand by Me, and The Lost Boys, he’s lived most of his life in public, and he’s been candid about the darker sides of Hollywood culture. Joining Dancing With the Stars for its recent season looked, on paper, like a classic celebrity reinvention arc: a nostalgic favorite learning the cha-cha under a disco ball.
According to Feldman, though, what fans saw in the weekly live shows only told part of the story. After his elimination, he began to open up about what he describes as a stressful and at times hostile environment behind the scenes, from rehearsal dynamics to the way production allegedly handled emotional moments for maximum drama.
For Feldman, whose career has been defined as much by his activism as his acting in recent years, criticizing a juggernaut like DWTS is not just personal—it’s political. It slots into his broader pattern of calling out what he considers systemic issues in the entertainment industry.
What Corey Feldman Says About the Show’s “Toxic” Culture
In his comments to Entertainment Weekly, Feldman doesn’t just complain about low scores or creative disagreements—he zooms in on the overall climate he experienced while competing.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Feldman says of the behind-the-scenes energy at Dancing With the Stars, describing the atmosphere as “toxic” and emotionally draining in ways he didn’t anticipate.
While the full interview unpacks multiple anecdotes, his criticisms cluster around a few recurring themes:
- Emotional manipulation: Contestants feeling nudged toward on-camera breakdowns or vulnerable storylines.
- Intense pressure in rehearsals: Long hours and a “no off switch” mentality that could tip from motivating to punishing.
- Power imbalances: Pros, producers, and network stakeholders having far more control than the celebrity participants.
None of these are entirely new accusations for reality TV as a whole, but Feldman’s decision to use the word “toxic” for such a visible, legacy series hits differently. DWTS has long marketed itself as the wholesome cousin to messier competition shows, all glitter and redemption arcs instead of villain edits and screaming matches.
A Familiar Pattern: Reality TV, Wellbeing, and the Cost of “Great TV”
Feldman’s claims don’t exist in a vacuum. Over the last decade, multiple reality formats—from dating shows to survival competitions—have faced scrutiny over how they treat contestants once the cameras stop rolling. DWTS, being a primetime broadcast staple, has largely avoided the tabloid-level scandals of some peers, but smaller controversies have surfaced over the years regarding injuries, judging, and cast treatment.
What’s different now is the cultural climate. Post–#MeToo and amidst ongoing conversations about mental health, the industry’s old “tough it out, it’s showbiz” mentality is harder to defend. Viewers are increasingly savvy about how heavily edited their “unscripted” favorites actually are, and they’re more willing to question whether devastating someone on live TV is worth a ratings bump.
Feldman, with his history of speaking out about exploitation, is an especially pointed messenger. Whether you agree with his take or not, his comments reinforce a broader question: when does “tough coaching” become a toxic workplace, and who gets to decide where that line is?
Why Feldman’s Comments Matter for DWTS and ABC
On a purely PR level, “DWTS is toxic” is not a headline any network wants to see trending, especially attached to someone with Feldman’s history of advocacy. The show sells itself as an aspirational fantasy where celebrities confront their fears, find confidence, and maybe even rehabilitate their public image. Allegations of toxicity clash hard with that brand.
At the same time, Feldman’s experience won’t automatically align with every former contestant’s story. Some have praised the series for being supportive, even life-changing. The truth is likely somewhere between those extremes, shaped by individual personalities, producers, weekly narratives, and the high stakes of live competition.
Still, from an industry perspective, this kind of criticism can function as a pressure test. When a production is confident in its culture, it can respond with transparency—outlining wellness resources, coaching protocols, and how it handles complaints. When it isn’t, we tend to see vague statements and silence.
For anyone tracking labor and ethics in Hollywood, Feldman’s words are another data point suggesting audiences are no longer content to judge shows purely on how entertaining they are. How they’re made matters, too.
What This Means for Fans: Can You Love the Show and Question It?
If Dancing With the Stars is comfort TV for you—the spray tans, the theme nights, the occasional surprisingly emotional foxtrot—Feldman’s take might feel like an attack on something you genuinely enjoy. But being a fan doesn’t mean suspending all criticism; in 2025, fandom and accountability increasingly co-exist.
- You can still enjoy standout routines and root for your favorite couples.
- You can also pay attention when contestants speak up about their experiences.
- You can support changes—better protections, clearer mental health protocols—without calling for the show’s cancellation.
One of the healthiest shifts in TV culture right now is that audiences are more comfortable with this kind of nuance. We don’t have to choose between “it’s perfect” and “it’s cancelled”; we can ask for better from the things we love.
Seeing the Show for Yourself: Promo Clips and Context
If you’ve only seen social clips, it’s worth watching a full episode or official promo to understand the tone Dancing With the Stars is selling: triumph through hard work, emotional storytelling, and a bit of campy spectacle.
Here’s an official example to contextualize the polished version of the show Feldman is critiquing:
The contrast between this glossy narrative and Feldman’s description of the day-to-day grind is the space where this conversation lives. Glitz on screen, grit off screen—and the question of how much of that grit is fair.
The Bigger Picture: Will Reality TV Finally Clean Up Its Act?
Corey Feldman’s callout of Dancing With the Stars is not a definitive verdict on the series, but it is a timely reminder that “feel-good TV” can still be hard on the people making it. As more contestants across genres speak openly about their off-camera experiences, networks will be pushed to prove that the chase for ratings doesn’t come at the expense of basic wellbeing.
Whether ABC responds directly or lets Feldman’s comments fade into the news-cycle churn, the audience has already heard them. And as any reality producer knows, once a story is out there, it can’t be edited away.
For now, the ballroom keeps spinning. But thanks to voices like Feldman’s, more viewers will be watching not just the scores and the sequins, but the human cost behind every perfect 10.
