“Dancing With the Stars” contender Maksim Chmerkovskiy has vehemently denied the reports that he criticized fellow dancer Cheryl Burke’s figure, saying that what he said had been taken out of context.

“I am outspoken but I do not discriminate how people look. That’s the great thing about ballroom – unlike jazz and ballet – it doesn’t discriminate. People of all shapes and sizes and levels of ability can take part in ballroom dancing,” the 28-year old dancer said.

Chmerkovskiy revealed that after the news surfaced, he’s been barraged with hate emails from fans, with some saying that he should go back to his home country.

Despite this, he said that he’s ready to move on and added that he’s dancing with Burke next week.

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