Lea Thompson has claimed Artem Chigvintsev got "so mad" at her when they teamed up on Dancing with the Stars in 2014.
During an appearance on former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke's Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast, the Back to the Future actress reflected on her "intense" partnership with Artem, who was recently arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
"It was hard working with him because it was his first year and it was a big deal to him," Lea said. "He was so intense. It was so much more important to him than to me, honestly. And so that made me really nervous. Like, it made me crazy after a while."
The 63-year-old alleged that "some of the things he would say" to her were "very difficult" and they struggled to bridge the divide between her ballet background and his ballroom skills. Although she was a dancer, the professional would allegedly "get so mad" at her because she couldn't do Latin and ballroom styles.
"It's so funny when I watched Dancing with the Stars, no one realises how much you guys are screaming at us," she said of the pros. "I'm sorry. I was like, my mind works a different way."
The actress also claimed the Russian dancer once told her "men are much better than women" because "they're stronger".
Before his stint on DWTS, Artem appeared on the U.K. equivalent, Strictly Come Dancing, from 2010 to 2013.
The 42-year-old was arrested in August at his home in Napa County, California on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse. He was released later that day after posting $25,000 (£19,000) bail.
He and his wife Nikki Garcia have not spoken publicly about the incident, however, the former wrestler's representative told People, "This is a private matter and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time."
During an appearance on former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke's Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast, the Back to the Future actress reflected on her "intense" partnership with Artem, who was recently arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
"It was hard working with him because it was his first year and it was a big deal to him," Lea said. "He was so intense. It was so much more important to him than to me, honestly. And so that made me really nervous. Like, it made me crazy after a while."
The 63-year-old alleged that "some of the things he would say" to her were "very difficult" and they struggled to bridge the divide between her ballet background and his ballroom skills. Although she was a dancer, the professional would allegedly "get so mad" at her because she couldn't do Latin and ballroom styles.
"It's so funny when I watched Dancing with the Stars, no one realises how much you guys are screaming at us," she said of the pros. "I'm sorry. I was like, my mind works a different way."
The actress also claimed the Russian dancer once told her "men are much better than women" because "they're stronger".
Before his stint on DWTS, Artem appeared on the U.K. equivalent, Strictly Come Dancing, from 2010 to 2013.
The 42-year-old was arrested in August at his home in Napa County, California on a charge of corporal injury to a spouse. He was released later that day after posting $25,000 (£19,000) bail.
He and his wife Nikki Garcia have not spoken publicly about the incident, however, the former wrestler's representative told People, "This is a private matter and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time."