Maksim Chmerkovskiy reportedly fibbed when he claimed he turned down an offer to star on The Bachelor.
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In addition to the fact that The Bachelor's shooting schedule would have conflicted with his Dancing with the Stars' participation, EW also noted the dating show has had "limited success" with prior "high concept" stars like Lorenzo Borghese, Matt Grant and Jesse Palmer, and Chmerkovskiy's playboy reputation would likely have prompted skepticism among viewers.
Chmerkovskiy's representatives did not immediately respond to EW's requests for comment.
Chmerkovskiy -- who was previously engaged to fellow Dancing with the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff before the couple split in September 2009 -- had alleged that he "turned down the American version" of The Bachelor as part of a blog posting in which he had confirmed he is starring in a new Ukrainian version of the show.
According to Chmerkovskiy, his main reason for choosing to be the first Ukrainian Bachelor was because he believes many of the women who compete on the American version are looking solely for TV exposure, while a brand new overseas edition in a country unfamiliar with the format will attract more genuinely "real" women who are truly focused on finding love for the right reasons.
"There has never been a show such as this in Ukraine. And it makes me think that a first season would be the most 'real' as far as participant's perception of 'what it's all about' is concerned," he wrote.
In addition, the Dancing with the Stars professional also insisted there was no truth to rumors that he had turned down the American version of The Bachelor because he "dislikes" American women.
"The fact that I've turned down the American version has NOTHING to do with my 'dislike' of American women," he wrote. "The statement is so absurd that I can't believe I'm even dignifying it with a reply."
However Chmerkovskiy acknowledged that while he is in participating the show's Ukrainian edition, he still remains skeptical about the format.
"The idea that I would find 'the one' on a TV show is something that I can't ever fathom," he wrote.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
