Sharna Burgess has revealed more details about the alleged issues she faced while partnered with Jesse Metcalfe on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I had a situation with a partner where it got to the point where we couldn’t be alone in a room without people watching,” Burgess told host Cheryl Burke on the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast on Tuesday.
While she didn’t specifically mention Metcalfe’s name, it was clear he was the one she was referring to given the timing of the alleged interactions.
Burgess explained, “This was [during] COVID and we didn’t have everyone watching all the cameras all the time. We were scaling back on our crew. Some rehearsals weren’t watched or recorded.”
The professional dancer and actor were partnered up on Season 29 of the series, which aired during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
She continued, “That was a difficult situation for me. I went through the proper channels and unfortunately I wasn’t able to record everything, but I was able to record some things and I did go to the proper people and there were reports made and I was taken care of.”
Burgess, 38, did clarify, however, that the issue “was not sexual in any nature.”
The Australian performer — who’s been paired with controversial celebrities like Andy Dick, Nick Carter, and Antonio Brown on the show in the past — first hinted at her issues with the “Desperate Housewives” alum, 44, earlier this month.
“I wasn’t able to be in the room alone with him after the first couple of weeks because of things that happened,” she said on the Sept. 12 episode of her “Old-ish” podcast. “That was rocky and we were eliminated very quickly.
(The duo was eliminated in week five of the competition and finished in 12th place. This was a far cry from the results of the previous season, which Burgess won with partner Bobby Bones.)
A rep for Metcalfe fired back at Burgess’ claims, saying, “If she is referring to a time where our client Jesse Metcalfe worked with Ms. Burgess four years ago, the only recollection was that they didn’t get along. Vague insinuations are not only reckless but also irrelevant.”
Burgess started as a pro on “Dancing With the Stars” in Season 16, which aired in 2013.
She competed with A-listers until Season 30 when she was partnered with actor Brian Austin Green.
Although the twosome was eliminated third, they found love with each other and went on to get engaged and welcome a baby together in 2022.
