‘Dancing’s’ Maksim Chmerkovskiy On Why He Took On Judge Carrie Ann Inaba

Maksim Chmerkovskiy took aim at judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s criticism of his “instant” dance with Brandy on Monday night’s “Dancing with the Stars,” and after the show, he remained heated about the live altercation.

“So where do we start? This has been brewing for a while,” Access Hollywood’s Tony Potts asked Maks after the show.

“It has,” Maks laughed. “I’m so sorry, like… I didn’t want people out there to think I’m irrational or a troublemaker… My history kind of shows that I am a perfectionist.”

Maks explained that he took on Carrie Ann when she commented about the pair’s “instant” dance — in particular, slighting them for starting 32 counts after the music started — because the critique was about him, not about partner Brandy’s skills.

“I feel like it’s so unfair… Brandy or Bristol [Palin] or Kurt [Warner], [this] is their show; that is their one opportunity… and [to] focus [the criticism] on me… and my choice of choreography or interpretation is unfair,” Maks told Tony.

Maks seemed to suggest that Carrie Ann, who kept the couple from a first round perfect score on their waltz, has a grudge against the duo.

“I don’t understand what she said to [Brandy] in the waltz, the chin up?” Maks said, referring to Carrie Ann’s comment that Brandy needed to work on keeping her neck relaxed “and elongated from the back of the spine.”

“How come Len, who is a professional ballroom dancer, not Latin ballroom dancer, didn’t see it? And Bruno, who is a professional entertainer, didn’t see it either,” Maks continued. “I just don’t get it, some people are being built up and some people are being pulled down and picked on. I don’t get it.”

While Maks has his beef with Carrie, Brandy took a more neutral stance.

“This is my partner and [I’m] behind him 100 percent and I see where he’s coming from… I mean he’s very passionate about us as a couple and about our dance and about what we’re doing so I understand,” Brandy said. “But at the same time, I also respect what the judges have to say too because I believe wholeheartedly that they want us to be good every week.”