DWTS “Cheating Scandal” – Radar Online Plus Additional Info
You know, if someone’s going to read our boards and get their stories from it, perhaps they should get the pro partner correct. 
Just kidding. I think. Not really sure what to make of this, since they got the pro so, so wrong. You know, we’ve been saying there was some cheating going on for a while, thanks to Vogue’s eagle eye…but still. For those new to this site, Vogue reported to me a long time ago (December, as a matter of fact) that she saw a picture of Sherri and Val go up at Dance With Me website; as soon as she saw it, it was taken down. Suspicious behavior, in our opinion. We’ve been talking about it ever since. So, now someone is telling Radar Online the same story, only the pro is wrong. From Radar Online:
Dancing with the Stars is supposed to be a competition where everyone trains for the same amount of time with their partners, but there is a shocking cheating scandal that RadarOnline.com has exclusively uncovered — Sherri Shepherd has been bending the rules before the show has even started!
The celebrities are officially paired up with their partners for the first time on the day the announcement of who will be dancing with who is made, and then given a few weeks to prep for their dance floor debut, but RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that The View co-host has been practicing with her partner, Makism Chmerkovskiy, since December!
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“Sherri was spotted in early December going into the Soho Studio and Maks was there too,” an eyewitness revealed.
“She had her dance shoes with her and was dressed in workout gear. I saw them dancing together.”
It’s entirely possible that the “show insider” reads this site as well. Or is it all just TRUE and it’s now coming out?? You be the judge.
ETA: I’ve seen lots of people discrediting the story on twitter simply because Radar got the Professional wrong – but people come on. They’re brothers. Same last name. How easy would it be to type Maks instead of Val? My mom calls me by my brother’s name all the time. It happens.
ETA 2: Sherri’s side of the story. Interesting.
My Mom had six kids so we all just got used to be called by the wrong name!
LOL
I wonder ifSherri is the one being replaced by Courtney
Hey, I fantasize and call my husband Derek (as in Jeter) hehehe!!!
Gotta love the comments at the bottom of their post.
And why do KNOW that there will be denial…denial…denial…about “practicing”…already a fan is sayingg she would go there to “work out”…really? Oh that’s right, there is not a gym on every 5th block in EN WHY CEE !!!! Gimme a break!
It doesn’t matter if it was Maks, Val, Tony or anyone else. The fact is that she was seen practicing with one of the pros from the show months before she was revealed to be on the show, and months before any of the other celebs started rehearsing.
I don’t know. I think they probably stole this from PDWTS, because I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else, other than TWOP, where the poster did link back to the article here. Someone there did raise a good question though (and I’m not saying Sherri has NOT been practicing, just that this was a good question)–if she has been practicing for all this time, why hasn’t she lost a considerable amount of weight? That is sort of suspect, right?
She was working out, all right – by ballroom dancing.
Well, I think she has lost weight – just not in the boobage area which is most…obvious. I don’t study her, but she’s smaller from the chest down than she has been in recent years.
Hmmm…she has said she hasn’t had time to learn how to dance, right? Then how would she have time to take away from work & her son to “work out”?
This seems like a calculated move.
My impression is Radar Online got the story around the time that pic came out and has held onto it. That would explain getting the pro wrong, because didn’t Sherri ask for Maks?
The real question though is: WHY now?
The story is released 4 days prior to the season premiere. All of the pairings are officially announced. I can’t see what the pay off would be other than to get fans worked up.
UNLESS: Is it an attempt to make Sherri bow out?
JennJenn, someone just told me they think this will make Sherry more sympathetic to views….getting hated on…. oh, brother, seriously?
Nah, if they had the story for a while how would they STILL get the pro wrong?? MY impression is that they found out and posted in a hurry and their source either screwed up which brother she had. I know about posting something in a hurry because you don’t want to get beaten to the scoop.
Why now?? Exactly – they just found out and want the hits this story will generate. Don’t over complicate it. They got the story, they printed it. Period. The end.
The payoff?? You obviously don’t run a website.
THIS is the pay off. Every single click.
Do we know how far in advance these folks are asked to be on the show? What if Sherri just decided to take ballroom classes? Does this preclude her from ever being on the show? Maybe she took one lesson just to see if this was something she wanted to pursue. I really think if she and Val had been practicing for any length of time, he would have been committed to the looney bin long ago, no matter how much they’re paying him.
Another thought. How do we know other celebs don’t take lessons after they find out they may be considered as a contestant on the show? We don’t know. I realize the fact that the alleged lessons were with Val, who is her partner on the show, and that getting comfortable with your instructor is part of it. So, if all this is true, I would have to cave and say yes, it does give her that advantage. But I’m not convinced all is as it is being presented in the media.
@Sheery: I agree with you…how pathetic
@Heidi: web-politics ::shivers::
Somethin is tellin me I should have stayed in bed today………!
And now all the psychotic Maksim sycophants are coming after Pure DWTS like some type of crime has been committed . Season 14 craziness has begun……
Hm – there was one other thing that was suspect about this whole thing – and I’m not certain that other people caught it.
I remember around the time of the Maks birthday bash there was all kinds of goofy tweeting going on between Val, Maks, and Sherri about how she should be partnered with one of them. If I remember correctly (and my memory is spotty so I sincerely apologize) Val had tweeted something about how HE would be her partner, and would dance with her. Think it was a joke, but still.
Went back to check for it – don’t see it anywhere. Now I sound like a lunatic
Anyway….unfair? sure. Then again….let’s see how she even does (i think, anyway).
When was Sherri’s wedding? I thought she was taking lessons for her wedding dance. Still, if she was practicing with Val before the other couples started, that is not really fair since the chemistry between the couples is part of the draw of show.
Nice try…. Whoopie on the view said that Sherri wil be on dwts right after the finale. I know this because I came her with the info and told them to check it out.
I think it’s funny it took Radar that long to “break the scandal.”
Hey Heidi, think you are right about a little loss of weight or maybe things are just firming up a little….she probably hasn’t lost much tho because she said during one interview something like, oh no, I am not danicng to lose weight and something about how she had to keep all her fabulous curves and yadayadayada….so she’s probably shoveling in the cheeseburgers and ice cream so she can maintain those devastating looks of hers.
If the show really wanted to call fowl, probably would not take much to find out more…but do they want to ? The pros also know the rules and evidently the Chermkowsys can make up their own and have no worries. If I were some of the other celebs working my ass off to not look like a fool because I had no dance training….well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them decided it wasn’t worth the sweat and humiliation.
Again, I ask the same question. If this was all innocent, nothing to it, one lesson, no big deal…why pull down the picture almost immediately after it was put up??
No, it doesn’t preclude her from being on the show. It didn’t preclude Donny Osmond from being on the show. I just think it curious how some are willing to overlook SOME things, but not others. Not talking about you, Auntie, but fans in general.
“pyschotic Maksim sycophants” ? LOL, sounds like a good name for a indie rock band.
Heh. Like I told Vogue earlier, it just makes me cackle with glee when they “come after us”. But I’m weird like that. Look, Vogue saw what she saw – anyone who knows her would never question her on it. You wanna shoot the messenger? Grow up.
Alright – I’ll bite…. What the Hell is this supposed to mean?
Val’s latest tweet:
iamValC Done Teaching, Done Preaching, Let em figure it out on their own #JustDoYou
PMS for short.
Apropos.
Again, I think you’re trying to read too much into one tweet. Probably means nothing. Done for the night.
@mimi #20 & heidi- In regards to weight, she’s been working with a trainer for awhile to get in shape because her family health history isn’t that good and being in better shape would benefit her and I’ve also heard that she was trying to get pregnant but I don’t know how true that is.
This whole thing is a bit crazy. I trust Vogue saw what she saw but who knows what it means. I personally would like to give her the benefit of the doubt until more proof comes out there. Also, like someone said earlier, what if other pros do this too but just aren’t caught? It also doesn’t make sense that Radar broke it now unless the Twitter rumors are true about someone going and it’s Sherri. Some of Val’s tweets have been a bit interesting but from what Sherri’s said she still seems to be in it and super excited. *shrugs*
Val’s tweet probably means they argued during practice.
Melissa, I know what you are talking about, those back and forth tweets, they were playful at the time, maybe teasing the fans as to what they already knew.
Auntie Bellum, Sherri has said many times in recent past that she’s had no time for dwts or lessons (even exercising to lose weight to prepare for a hopeful pregnancy soon) because of The View, and The Newlywed Game and her wedding. If you listened to them cackle on the view after her wedding, Elisabeth has two left feet and supposedly did a great job dancing and Elisabeth said Sherri did awesome. But, would she say? lol
oh dear lord back to this again !!! lets see what sherrie does on monday….i know she had to lose some weight for health reasons and dancing is a fab way to lose weight so maybe it was why she was there who knows and who cares…its what they all do on monday night that matters and is it any different to having somebody as a celeb who dances and performs for a living , dwts is more than just being able to dance its about being able to handle EVERYTHING that comes along with it and is very much a mental game……cannot wait for monday
Well, these pros are all very famous now – it would be really hard for them to do too much without getting caught. I don’t actually believe it happens that much. Derek can’t exit a nightclub without being surrounded – how are any of them going to get away with a lot of rehearsal.
Not to mention that they normally don’t find out who their partner is until a day or two before. NORMALLY.
ok this is a liitle late on radar online’s part. Honestly, if she was indeed getting taught by a pro much much earlier it probably didn’t stick in her head. Remeber she thinks the world is flat.
Just to play a little devils advocate Heidi, as I know you like a good argument, going by the perspective that they’d be caught, I would think if it was ongoing and regular with Sherrie and Val, a lot more people would have seen it and been recording it. Maybe?
Also, in playing devils advocate, I think in many ways, if they’ve truly been spending a lot of time together, the viewing audience will miss some of the “romance” of 2 people getting to know each other. They will perhaps have already moved into a phase that’s more comfortable, more boring, and more irritated by the others actions….Could really bite them in the butt…
I’m not trying to argue that Vogue didn’t see what she saw. I know that she likes the Chmerkovskiis and wouldn’t start a false rumor about them. That’s the piece I don’t get about the rabid Maks fans, of course you, Heidi, have voiced strong objection to the hypocrisies of the ringer arguments and strong disdain for many of Maks’ actions, but this site clearly has plenty of Maks supporters. And Val too.
I dunno, Jess. It’s not the fact (or belief) that she’s been practicing all this time – I couldn’t care less, wasn’t going to vote for her anyway. It’s the hypocrisy of all involved, if it’s true. Maks, Maks fans…whoever. You know they would be screaming to anyone who would listen if it had been Derek, Mark or any of the other pros who had been seen “working out” together. They are many of the people who have been screaming that Derek always gets ringers – even going so far as to call Joanna one. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, it appears they don’t like it much.
Of course it’s entirely possible that the “inside source” is someone that didn’t read this blog and that would make it sighting number TWO.
Are these the wedding dance lessons that have been referred to? Or did Sherri take additional ballroom lessons?
Something weird: Why have a secret lesson while Nancy Grace, Carson Kressley, and competing pro Tristan apparently are in studio? (The deleted pic was mixed in with pics of their visit, right?) Maybe someone should ask the photographer what happened.
I don’t discount the possibility of lessons, but I would like to hear what Sherri and Val have to say before assuming it. (FYI, I would say the same for any of the couples and pros under similar circumstances.)
#jo—about “who knows or who cares”….perhaps the celebs who didn’t decide to bend the rules and take dance lessons b4 the show began.
We were talking amongst our group of DWTS watchers and at first we decided we would numb ourselves to SS by having a little drinking game, maybe everytime she brought up “my Jeffrey” or “embracing my curves” or one of the other insipid remarks this selfish woman spews all the time. But instead we decided we might send Val a case of Ho-Ho’s and every time she starts, he can shove one in her mouth and put himself and the rest of us out of our misery.
Can you imagine if Derek, Mark, Kym, Cheryl, or even now Karina would have been practicing ballroom or even getting to know their next partner club dancing with them……Maks & Val fans’ heads would explode!
Supposedly she just said she’s hasn’t broken rules….should I look for those “playful three-some tweets”? lol
Sherri knew who her partner would be as soon as she was in talks for the show. Stay in NY = a pro based in NY, process of elimination (height etc.) = Val.
As a loyal reader and poster of this site I believe 100% that Vogue’s sighting is legitimate. And if she saw Sherri as she said, then that’s what she saw… Period.
I’m willing to bet that someone out there has the pic. They took a screen shot or something and is either
A) A Maks/Val fan who will NOT give it up for obvious reasons
B) Someone who is just waiting for the PERFECT timing to come on out Ala Sara Evans’ husband divorce scandal, which would just be oh so sweet.
And yes, I truly believe that had it been Derek (or even Mark) that was in this position, we wouldn’t hear the end of it.
Okay, something is fishy…. Or my computer is wacky..
I just clicked on the Radar Online link above, as I had previously did this morning, and read the article … But now its says that I am not authorized to access this page… hmmm… Is it gone???
@Sandy you’re not alone. It says the same thing to me too.
They realized they had Maksim instead of Val and took it down…. ?
Maybe, sheery. But they’ve got nothing unless they have the tweet/photo if you ask me.
For me,it doesn’t matter is she took lessons prior to the show. Let’s see how well she does live andhow well liked she is in America. Some find her annoying, some find her funny. I don’t peg her as a ringer but someone who will bow out earlier.
#25@Princess Heidi….PMS,
LOL, good one…I think I may retire Auntie Bellum and become PMS instead. Very apropos…in my case anyway.
#35@mimi f acworth….yes to the idea of sending Val HoHo’s to shut Sherri up. A roll of duct tape might not be a bad idea either.
And lastly, I would never question that Vogue did not see what she saw. I have nothing but the utmost respect for all of the PDWTS crew. We might not always agree, but I appreciate all the research, number crunching ,and analysis that y’all do for everyone’s reading enjoyment. I am ready for this season to start, and some lively discussions.
Not sure if Sherri requested Maks or Val, but it seems in the past few seasons when a female star was based on the east coast Tony got them so he’d be closer to his wife and kids.
But tony requested an athlete this season. Dumb if you ask me.
What made Tony request an athlete….watching Hope have a melt down?
This is quite intriguing. Especially because Donny Osmond took lessons before the show as well. Although, it’s pretty clear he just did it of his own volition. He didn’t take classes with his future partner before the show (assuming that’s the case here).
Would anyone care if Sherri had done lessons with Maks and not Val since Maks isn’t her partner now?
Also, there’s no rule about not dancing before the show. As we’ve discussed many times before, the show isn’t and never will be fair. Although, if I were a star and heard that this was true I would feel a little bit slighted. It is a competition after all and their compensation and the pros’ compensation depends on how far they go.
Love Sherri and glad that she’s doing the show. I know that there are those out there who don’t care for Sherri, that’s find, as they say, to each their own.
So she admits to taking lessons there…but not with a “pro”… LMAO! R-i-g-h-t!
True, John. Plus, I remember all the whining and complaining that Erin Andrews did about Nicole. And Maks himself for that matter. So to think that other celebs would like hearing this is a bit…well, naive.
Vogue I saw the pic of Sherri also. I remember thinking, “Why is she there?” Then when a friend of Sherri’s kept trying to contact a mutual friend who is on DWTS I kind of figured Sherri would be on the show. It could have been a coincidence, but if it looks like a duck…
By the way have you Googled the news for Sherri recently? The story has been picked up by several media outlets.
Yep, Fox News is now reporting on this. I’m glad it’s being picked up. As Heidi mentioned above, after all the smack talk against Nicole by Erin, Maks, Niecy and EVEN SHERRI on “The View” it’s nice to see this backlash. Of course, if we find out this is true, this would be even sweeter. I will buy a wine today if I have to as means of celebration. The last time I did that was when a Head Writer was fired from a show. Oh I hope this is true.
@RJW – I saw that, one site even stated that since Sherri says she did not take lessons with Maks or Val, and the fact that Radar Online took down the article, then they believe Sherri…. Grrrrrrr! I want to scream!
“This started LONG before I started negotiations with DWTS.” Note she never says if/when it ended only that the “handful” of lessons she took provided her with foundation enough for the show though not for what she’s doing now. Contradictory much?
I know this much: I’d love to know what the other celebs on this season think of this.
People tweeting that she looked nervous while talking….many not believing her. She took a handful of lessons….she’s been approached by the show before…..never had time to do it before before of lack of childcare for her son…..maybe Sal will let her do dwts now……bingo—she signed on to do dwts.
She also emphasizes that she didn’t train with “Val, Maks or Tony”. Uh huh.
(((((Hugzzz All))))) Thank you so much for your love and support on this today!!! I had to work for most of the day. If it weren’t for Heidi being there first thing this morning, Court, and John, and all of you, I don’t think I could have made it and kept my mind straight today. Thanks again!! Love you all!!!! xx
Well, let’s be “fair”…hehehe. She could have trained with Teddy or someone there while Maks or Val (or even Tony) stood by
No problem Voguerista!!!
Exactly, sheery, she may not have “danced” with Val, Maks or Tony but were they TRAINING her?!?! And just who *did* she dance with? I’m not buying it. Plus, when one is innocent, they can tell you with a straight face and concrete evidence of their innocence, when one’s voice is shaking and someone has to hold you, you’re guilty IMO.
I believe her. She never trained with Val, Maks or Tony. She just trained at Maks’ studio where similar pros helped her out.
The real issue is that she wasn’t upfront about it. That’s what’s causing her problems. She still feels like she’s trying to be careful with her words since she doesn’t want to admit that the classes were a way for her to prepare for going on the show. She should have done like Donny and just admitted it up front and said she wanted to do as well as she could on the show.
I’m with Joyless Behar, this is all Bush’s fault….
OK, so it’s gone from “No, I didn’t do anything” to “Well, it was a ‘handful’ of lessons, and it wasn’t from Val”….
All-righty, then!
NOT!
This is the same kind of “reel it out slowly and spin it” crapola that we normally see with politicians.
Just from the look in her face and the quiver in her voice, she sounded to me like someone who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I think her explanation is B.S. IMO, she should just own up to it, own it, and move on. This “dribble it out” stuff makes me even less likely to vote for her. Now that I think about it, assuming for a moment that her lessons weren’t from Val (how did that go? A ‘willing suspension of disbelief’?), she still admits it was at Maks’ and Val’s studio – learning in their house, with one of their sycophants – err, ahh, instructors – most likely using their methods. Stinky, stinky, stinky.
One more thing – Ditto what Court said at #57! It would be interesting to hear what the folks who’ve been busting their buns to learn this from scratch think about it.
Also, for those who have watched Babs over the years….her face tells many things
And why was Sherri’s comments on a teleprompter? If I am speaking from the heart, directly to my fans, “Oscar” doesn’t have to type it into the teleprompter for me..
Vogue – Don’t worry, sweetie! We’ve got your back!!!!!!!
Love you!
(((Love you too)))) xxx
#auntiebellum Check ! One roll of duct tape and a case of Ho-Ho’s !
OMG-been in meetings all aft…but I am not surprised. These PDWTS phenoms are seldom wrong and well, there is SS, herself….Selfish, a sense of entitlement, sitting on a panel of a fairly popular talk show spewing misinformation daily, like she knows WTH she’s talking about.
And then there’s the Chermoskowsky’s..so desparate for a win at this point they would participate in something so underhanded. I was born at night, but NOT LAST NIGHT and like Heidi, I call BS. RIIIGHT !! I don’t believe the Not with Val or Maks story. Why would anyone believe anything any of them say at this point.
I hope this is harped on DAILY. If anyone, especially Derek, Karina or maybe Mark pulled this the whining would NEVER end. And a couple of the celebs like Gavin, Maria, maybe William and Donald who have never danced, I hope they complain-LOUDLY.
Vogue, just wanted to add my heartfelt support to all the rest. You’re wonderful and amazing and I luv ya!
Hang in there, we’re all behind you.
**hearts** and **hugs**
Geez, I’m out of touch for one day and DWTS-land goes up in flames.
#63 Nathan
Haven’t you seen the footage of Maks especially with students at his schools=====he stands off to the side and trains often by having the student dance with some other dancer from his facility, a couple of times its been Teddy.
This whole thing is such a load. So sick of people who think they can bend or make up their own rules but have no problem telling everyone else to stick to the very rules they are breaking.
(((((Hearts and Hugzzz right back at ya))))))))xxxx Thank you sooo much!!
it shows that once again the truth is always the best out.
I agree with John, she should have just owned up to it at the get go. It would have been so old news by now.
@Vogue:
If you have nothing to hide, you hide nothing. The story that you posted in December was simply stating what you saw and what you had dug up. You can’t be held responsible for someone else’s actions.
The fact that your story has now been validated is a credit to the QUALITY of content that you and the other moderators on this site choose to post.
With that said: To you and the other moderators keep your heads up, stay strong and stand united.
I think it is safe to say that I and the rest of the posters here at Pure would be proud to stand with you guys any day of the week.
The truth, lol. Imo, many have made up their minds about sherri, so this would not be old new.
Any indication how TPTB at DWTS and ABC are reacting this? Is it a case of happy cackling and shouts of “all publicity is good publicity” or are they in any way concerned?
Thanks Jenn!! You guys are all so awesome! Thanks again!
@Vogue – What JennJenn said! All of it!
If ABC doesnt care then I dont. Its not like she going to win anyways….
Just watched The View’s video of Sherri’s explanation. Why is she so nervous if she didn’t do anything wrong? Barbara, as someone already pointed out, was certainly not very supportive. The only thing Sherri said that I actually believed was “I am certainly not a professional dancer!” Well, I don’t think anyone was accusing you of that Sherri! I think that the media were suggesting that you had a leg up on the competition because you definitely did take lessons at your pro’s studio, and he may or may not have trained you from the sidelines. But you didn’t really deny any of that!
If ABC doesnt care then I dont. Its not like she going to win anyways….
Also I find the comments about her weight the ho-hos disgusting she suffers from diabetes. I know many people who suffer from it and its a daily struggle. Weather you dont like what she says or something that may or may not have happened thats sinking low. I dont like her and I would never say something like that.
oops I didnt mean to post it twice. The first time it said it didnt go through it said it was too short.
As John said up at #64, her biggest problem is that she’s gone into politician denial/cover-up mode. That never works. When Radar broke this thing, if she wanted this story to go away she should have come out and said what Donny said. That wouldn’t necessarily have changed anybody’s opinion about the “right” or “wrong” of it; but it would have taken the air right out of the story. All she’s doing with her quasi-denials and spin-doctored, scripted responses is fanning the flames. Of course, maybe she doesn’t want the story to go away.
Whether she wins DWTS or gets booted off in Week 1, she still has a day job at The View. The one who might get the short end of the stick from this is Val. He wasn’t exactly a DWTS star in his first season and now he’s embroiled in this “cheating scandal”. Yes, he’s Maks’s little bro, but I’m not sure ABC will give him as long a leash as they have given Maks.
If you haven’t seen Anna comment about it….go watch the video on the Jack & Anna post…interesting as well.
Cidra , great comments at #77 and #84.
Now, pursuing the option that ABC is happy at any publicity and wants more more more …
do y’all think that ABC may now be likelier to wield the considerable tools it has at its disposal to prolong Sherri’s stay – think Kate G and Bristol P – beyond what it might have been had she stayed merely as polarizing as she was 2 days ago?
Faby, in my opinion, while ABC might be happy to take this story for its free publicity right now as an extra bit of spice to get people to tune into the season premiere, I don’t think ABC would try to prolong Sherri’s stay on the show. However, I’m no expert so I’ll defer to the more experienced DWTS watchers, if they have a different take on it.
If you go back and watch the GMA cast announcement, when they introduce the celebs and then announce their partners, you will notice that Sherri raises her arms like she is surprised… Almost like a funny gesture between two people that already knew each other.
Cidra, hope you’re right. There are so many appealing celebs this season that I would most like the focus to stay on the dance quality and evolving partnerships between celebs and pros. I just watched the 3 Jack and Anna interviews for example – that’s the sort of stuff I really like.
You and me, both, Faby! I agree S14 has one of the most appealing collection of celebs we’ve had in a while that also show some dance potential. So to have one unsavory incident distract from the rest of the cast, their dancing, and their journey on the show would be disappointing. With any luck this will be a 9-days’ wonder.
Sherri appparently craves publicity, she can use the negative publicity for some possible sympathy votes.
She seems selfish and self centered.
My focus and all the votes I can get from my husband and kids are for Maria & Derek. She seems fun & witty. He is so talented, humble & sweet as can be. The are very cute together.
@John, I agree with you, what rules? There are rules?
I don’t think there have ever been rules that the stars can’t have had dance background, or have taken dance lessons. Heck, if they had any rule, I’d love them to define their definition of ‘stars’ as it seriously lacks in some seasons.
You can call fair or not, but the reality is that our wacky trio of judges control half of the outcome – and if she starts of strong but doesn’t improve, they’ll score her that way and the other half is controlled by America (and the rabid fans of the other dancers) – so if they don’t think it’s fair, they won’t vote for her.
Weird View response, but if I’m ABC, the more publicity/debate around her the better, it gets people to tune into The View and DWTS. I’m surprised they didn’t find a way to have her tell her side of the story on The Chew, as that needs all the help it can get….
#ohlala-re your comments #82
Really kind of a stretch don’t you think ? But okay about the ho-ho’s –fine, we’ll say a bunch of brocolli and duct tape then, altho I made those remarks b4 her statement including diabetes, yet another ploy of hers for sympathy. What does the fact she has diabetes have to do with her deciding to give herself a distinct advantage over others on this show. Nothing, that’s what. And I didn’t call her anything denigrating regarding her weight. She is the one always bringing it up.
And I will add this, Sherry Shepard is an annoying, whining women who never seems to practice any kind of self-control and then wants to make excuses when there are consequences. From things that you can look up yourself that I won’t bring up on this board, to running her mouth. to risking the reputation of a young pro, to bringing her brand of mess to another television show.
I think low is a pretty accurate way to describe Sherry Shepard.
And I find the “selecive hypocrisy” expressed in some of the posts depending on which pros are involved, straight-up, amazing.
What do you expect? She is on “The View” you know. Yikes.
“And I find the “selective hypocrisy” expressed in these posts depending on which pros are involved, straight-up, amazing.”
:rollseyes I find that quite ironic coming you.
The thing that is bothering me the most is the lack of integrity regarding the show and the parties involved.
1) She has out right lied about her pre-season involvement. Whether or not she practiced with Teddy or some other member is irrelevant. That dance studio houses 3 known DWTS pro’s, and how many troupe members? The pros and celebs are forbidden to interact with the judges once filming commences. What is the point in upholding this regulation if the contestants are allowed to practice with an affiliated dance studio of the show?
2) Maks, Tony and the troupe members in their crew were fully aware of what was happening and not one of them have stepped forward yet to defend either Sherri or Val. In my eyes, they are just as guilty as the other two and should TPTB decide to take disciplinary action, they all should be reprimanded for it.
3) These pros put their reputations, studios, sponsors and endorsements on the line everytime they step on that ballroom floor. It is one thing for a celeb to be voted off early, but for the pros this is their LIVELYHOOD. There families are going to feel the direct impact of all this mess and will be viewing all of this in years to come. They have more to lose than anyone imo.
4) I would have hoped ABC had learnt their lesson of not “seemingly” reprimanding Maks last season. If they chose not to address this, I think they can kiss the show bye bye. No one will want to be a part of it. Yes, I realize PR, ratings, and it is all for TV, however, I have never known of a show to be this blatanly obvious of how desperate they are to secure contestants and viewers.
My final thought: I’m wondering how many people would still call it cheating if we eliminated the story of her practicing and we only relied on the fact that she had them choreograph a dance for her wedding? My guess is that the majority wouldn’t have cared less and the haters or people who don’t like her would try to use it against her.
I think it was Heidi who commented that… If there was nothing to it, then why pull down the picture? Could it be that perhaps they took down the photo because once people saw it, it would incite a DWTS celeb casting rumor and PulseCreative didn’t want to be the ones responsible for putting something out there that started it? I don’t know, just a thought. Whatever dance training Sherri had before the show, I doubt it’s going to win her the mirror ball, so I don’t really care. I just want to enjoy this season because for once, I actually like the entire cast.
Sherry admitted to taking the dance lessons prior to being asked to be on dancing with the stars. How is this cheating, I would think that several of the celebrities have taken some type of dance lessons. When did she lie about taking the lessons, several people are accusing her of not telling the truth, is there an interview where she admitted to not taking the lessons. As for Maks, Val, Tony or Teddy not saying anything – did they know Sherri was going to be on the show prior to Sherri being asked, I doubt it, so therefore what was the harm in her taking dance lessons. We don’t know when Sherri and Val found out they would be partners, is there any proof of them practicing once they found out?
This story has hit my Comcast Homepage… If was Sherri and/or Val, Maks, or Tony. (All three of these DWTS pros are connected with the Dance with Me Studios) I would be ashamed as an entertainer and a professional. JMO.
mimi and ohlala – Watch your step and calm down.
Really, JennJenn, this happened OFF the dance floor before the season started. DWTS isn’t going to care nearly as much as they might care about Maks being a jerk on national TV. I would wager most people won’t even know about it when the show starts. And, if the ratings are down it will be because of Smash and The Voice, not because of silly Sherri.
Tony and Martina will be On Access Hollywood Live today. I wonder what Tony will say when Billy asks him.
Ask him what? If he and Martina are hitting on each other?? Ackward.
Hee! I was talking about Sherri dancing at DWM studios.
LOL Zach!
Maddy, Yes, it will be interesting to see how Tony handles the Sherri question. Even more so, I’m curious to see if Martina chimes in. In a print interview she was pretty direct about saying Kristi Yamaguchi shouldn’t have been on DWTS because of her dance training as a figure skater. Wonder if she’ll stay quiet about Sherri because of Tony’s connection with DWM?
@Evelyn: I don’t have a problem with her taking lessons. As mentioned, there are no rules to state otherwise. I just think that if there is a possibility of you doing the show etc or you are negotiating a contract, those said lessons should not be taken at an affiliated dance studio. Her wedding was in August, the practice photo was taken in December. For me it is an ethical and and integrity issue not only for the celeb but the pros who run the studio. It just makes for a sticky situation when it needn’t have existed at all. There doesn’t have to be an existing rule for every little thing to know when something isn’t right/wrong.
@Heidi: I beg to differ about people not knowing about this. Sherri defended it on the View for crying out loud! Even if you are not a DWTS viewer, you would have to look up the Radar online story to figure out what the heck she was referring to. How many news people have picked this up and how many blogs have commented on it? You keep asking if there was nothing to hide, then why take down the photo or remove the link to the story if she did nothing wrong? You are implying by saying that, that she is in the wrong. Whether she wins the competition or not is irrelevant.
So Shaun Johnson shouldn’t have been on either because of dance like training—that’s it, take Mark’s MBTs away!!! lol.
JennJenn – I said MOST people. Most people, believe it or not, don’t get to see the View every day. They have JOBS. Also, most people don’t spend every waking hour on the net NOR does it occur to them to google DWTS celebs. The vast majority of the 20 million viewers do, I bet, sit down on monday night, watch the show, maybe cast a few votes – and that’s it. Not everyone is like us. And it’s a huge mistake to believe they are. You only have to look at twitter to see someone asking if Derek or Lacey are on the show this season to know this is true.
And no, I’m not implying she did something wrong – I’m SAYING that I think SHE believes she did something wrong. Taking down the pictures immediately is a tell that there’s something to hide – it says nothing at all about my thoughts on it. As I’ve said several times, I don’t care about the lessons – I care about all the bullshit around it. The lying, the hypocrisy and so on. Also, if you READ what I’ve written in various comments, you’ll note that when people try to claim there was nothing to it – that’s when I ask why take it down if that’s true. That is about THEM and their feelings, not mine.
Heidi: With all due respect, please don’t insult me by suggesting I haven’t read your comments or that I am naïve enough to think everyone follows dwts as closely as other people do. I have a job as well and if you READ my post I wasn’t just referring to the View but the other media as well who have picked up the story.
“I’m SAYING that I think SHE believes she did something wrong. ” Really? She denied it every which way but Sunday and even went as far as saying that the photo we know Vogue saw in December was actually taken from her wedding rehersal. That hardly sounds like someone who thinks she did something wrong.
You say that you care about the BS surrounding this and then discount that statement by saying she probably won’t win anyways – what if she surprises everyone (regardless of how slim of a chance) and wins it? What side of the fence would you sit on if that were to happen?
Guess what? My co-workers (and technically I have hundreds in the building) are peeved are the …ready….”discrimination” Sherri is facing. You know, her being a black woman on a white show. I was like WTF?????
Of course, I argue with them and I KNOW they’ve watched it before and have seen MANY African-American and Hispanic/Latino celebs on it. They “say” that Sherri’s getting picked on because” she’s a black woman with a chance to win–finally.” I said, “Are you people nuts? That’s ridiculous! ” Well, some of them said they will be giving out her voting number at their churches and social clubs to have the community push her to the win. Just when we thought that dwts wouldn’t be “political”…..sigh…
Oops…forgot to mention that I asked them why aren’t they voting for Gladys then as well, and they basically said she doesn’t have the chance to win, so why waste votes….go figure.
LOL Sheery! What can I say? Just chalk it up to “there is no reasoning with stupid”!!!!!!
DD
When was the fan pic taken of her leaving the studio on Broome & Greene Sts. ? Early December? That’s what I thought, but if SS is saying it was for lessons for her wedding, wasn’t she married in the summer when the show was on hiatus? Confused
I should clarify that the show actually does have rules. In fact, they have really serious rules that they can’t violate. From what I understand, DWTS falls under the game show category and they have strict rules about what they can and can’t do.
With that said, I don’t think these rules involve how much previous dance experience and/or connections you have had before the show. So, in that regard they have no rules. The rules they do have to follow are around the procedure of the show.
I also think it’s funny that they think she has a better chance to win than Gladys. I think Gladys will connect with the audience so much better. It won’t even be close in that regard. Plus, Gladys fans are in love with her and have been for a long time. The only question about Galdys is how well she can dance. I think she’ll be smooth, but not overwhelming.
Sheery: No need to be confused darlin – you got it! Basically SS was saying Radar Online and the photographer used the wrong date for the fan pic. That is how she is trying to explain all this mess, but we here know differently.
I’ve been reading Pure’s blogs for years now, but I rarely post a comment and usually skip over that section. The comments here though are hard to ignore. Why are some people so quick to call foul and accuse Sherri of cheating based solely on conjecture from one photo?? That’s how this all started, correct? Is there any actual proof that she was taking dance lessons specifically with the intention of preparing for DWTS?
Several times I’ve seen the question be brought up of why was the photo taken down if there’s nothing to hide? I don’t think there was something to hide. Maybe the people who posted the picture were trying to avoid stirring up cast rumors for the show, so they removed it. Or in this case, since rumors have circulated before about Sherri being on DWTS, the photo might just confirm that for people, so it was quickly deleted. I think that’s a possibility.
Why is Adele’s “Rumour Has It” playing in my head? Maybe Sherri and Val should dance to it.
Hmmm? Go to about 23:13 dwts sabotage? Very competitive season….. oh boy!
oops…here: http://www.tmz.com/2012/03/15/tmz-live-george-clooney-white-house-stacy-keibler-donald-trump-celebrity-apprentice-oprah-winfrey/#.T2POE5jN7dk
Adriana, Did you see Sherri on the View admit to going to his studio and taking lessons? Well, some can choose to believe it was “true” that for some reason TPTB didn’t contact her after doing so previously, yet she was always to busy, OR some can choose that there’s so major SPIN going on…..
John, I think they feel that Gladys’ age is why she won’t make it, so I reminded them of Kirstie, and I got the dribble that she’s white….SMH. They are bitter about Mel B, Laila, Brandy, and Mya. Mya, I DEFINITELY understand, and Brandy went to early, but wouldn’t have won.
JennJenn give it up. First off, I don’t think I ever said that she probably wouldn’t win anyway – I think you have me confused with someone else. Someone who actually cares who wins. Secondly – you’re still off base. “All the media” has been covering that Derek is on the show, yet nearly every single day someone asks him if he’s on the show. You are still seriously over estimating the power of entertainment media (and you did say she talked about it on The View), compared to a DWTS audience of 20 million. Thirdly, you are talking like you actually think you know me. You don’t. Win or lose, I think she and a few others are hypocrites – that has nothing to do with winning or losing. And no, a denial (quaky voice and all) does not mean she believes she did nothing wrong. When is life that simple.
And if you find it an insult for me to imply you aren’t reading my posts, then too bad. I think you make it very clear with every response that you aren’t reading as closely as you like to think. Now BACK off and quit trying so hard to pick a fight. You’re talking a lot about ME and that will get you deleted. Stick to Sherri and her shit.
Does anybody know who/what this is about re: Sheery’s link in comment #118? I listened to it and it sounds like a pretty sleazy move if true! Who on DWTS would do such a thing????
Meggie – I saw that vid, and wondered if that rumor and the earlier one about the awful shrew from the Bachelor coming on DWTS might somehow be connected…
So like the shrew’s PR machine was feeding the “replacement needed for medical reasons” garbage to TMZ to make it sound like she might be a last minute replacement???
Well, either that, or maybe there’s some (God forbid) some truth to both rumors???
Is it weird that when Meggie uses the word “shrew” that I’m not immediately sure who she’s talking about?
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Are you suggesting that I’m calling someone from DWTS a shrew, Heidi ??? lol The word “shrill” comes to mind when I think of one particular celeb and her “in your face” voice, but I actually meant The Bachelor ‘shrew” in this case. BTW, I don’t watch The Bachelor, so I’ll have to take Sally’s word for it!
At lease we now know that the rumors were all wrong! 
Sherri cheated pure and simple. By the scores the first night she’s not the only one. There hasn’t been a season yet where someone didn’t score a 5 or 6 the first night. Lowest score was a 7. Of course they cheated. Done with it.