A representative for professional dancer Daniella Karagach has denied reports claiming she threatened to leave Dancing with the Stars if producers fire her husband, Pasha Pashkov.
“The rumors reported by The Sun and other outlets about Daniella are entirely false,” her rep told Cosmopolitan on November 12, 2025. “Unfortunately, this season has been rife with speculation and baseless stories. We want to be clear that there is no truth to these claims.”
The statement came one day after The Sun published claims from unnamed production sources alleging Karagach warned show executives she would quit if Pashkov gets cut from the Season 35 cast.
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What The Sun Reported
The November 11 report cited anonymous insiders who said producers were “questioning if Pasha has what it takes to continue being a pro after a few setbacks this season.” According to these sources, the situation was “causing some tension with Daniella on the set and behind the scenes because she will fight tooth and nail for Pasha.”
The sources described Karagach as “one of the most talented dancers the show has ever cast” and claimed she allegedly told producers “if he gets fired, she will walk too.”
No one from ABC or the show’s production team commented on the record about casting decisions for Season 35.
Criticism That Fueled the Rumors
Pashkov faced public criticism from judge Carrie Ann Inaba during the October 14 Dedication Night episode. After his jive with celebrity partner Danielle Fishel, Inaba told the pair their performances felt repetitive.
“Some of your dances are starting to feel like I’m watching the same dance over and over again,” Inaba said. “Try to give a little bit more variety as far as dynamics. This is also on you, Pasha.”
The ballroom audience booed. Fishel tried to calm them, saying, “No, it’s okay.”
Pashkov responded in a Variety interview published October 15. “I was not happy. I always get protective,” he said. “For me, that comment felt unfair, especially being that she said that the dances looked similar. But the thing is, we did have a quickstep and we had a jive this week. These are two dances that are very, very similar.”
Fishel accepted the critique more readily. “She’s not wrong,” the Boy Meets World actress told Variety, acknowledging she smiled through multiple performances including her tango about overcoming breast cancer.
Elimination and Season 34 Results
Pashkov and Fishel were eliminated November 4 during Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, three weeks before the finale.
Karagach continued competing with partner Dylan Efron. They finished fourth in the November 25 finale, which Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won. Irwin became the second member of his family to claim the Mirrorball Trophy after his sister Bindi won Season 21 in 2015.
The finale featured five couples:
- Robert Irwin and Witney Carson (winners)
- Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy (second)
- Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa (third)
- Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach (fourth)
- Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten (fifth)
Different Career Paths
Karagach joined Dancing with the Stars in 2019 as a troupe member before becoming a full-time pro in 2020. She won the Mirrorball Trophy in Season 30 with NBA player Iman Shumpert and received an Emmy nomination for choreography that same year.
Pashkov started as a pro in 2019. He has reached the finale once, placing third in Season 32 with Ariana Madix. He has never won the competition.
The married couple wed in 2014 and welcomed their daughter Nikita in 2023.
No Season 35 Announcements Yet
ABC has not revealed which professional dancers will return for Season 35. The network has not confirmed when casting announcements will begin.
The Sun’s report also claimed other pros, including Jenna Johnson and Brandon Armstrong, were unhappy with alleged “favoritism and social politics” on the show. Neither dancer has publicly addressed those claims.
What Stands Now
Karagach’s representative made clear the reports about her threatening to quit are false. No verified sources have confirmed producers plan to remove Pashkov from the professional lineup.
Both dancers remain active in the ballroom community. Whether either returns to Dancing with the Stars depends on casting decisions that have not been made public.
