A rep for the Desperate Housewives alum, 44, responded to Burgess recalling him a "really difficult" partner for season 29 of the ABC dance competition on the latest episode of podcast Old·ish. (Burgess did not name Metcalfe but he was partnered with Burgess that season.)
“Vague insinuations are not only reckless but also irrelevant," the rep continues, before referring to the professional dancer, 38, as “highly unprofessional” for publicly making “insinuations just to promote the first episode of her podcast.”
The rep also adds that Metcalfe is personally "not commenting on this. He is taking the high road."
On the Sept. 12 debut episode of her new podcast Old·ish — which she co-hosts with her boyfriend Brian Austin Green and Randy Spelling — Burgess reflected on her journey after becoming a pro on the ABC dance competition in 2013.
“My win with Bobby was I think the most explosive and controversial of Dancing with the Stars history and I got caught up in this whirlwind of hate for that win which was really yucky,” she said, referring to her season 27 win with TV personality Bobby Bones.
She admitted that she was in “this space of self-blame” when she was not asked back the following season. After working through her struggles during the hiatus from the show, Burgess returned to the ballroom for season 29 and was partnered with Metcalfe until they were eliminated in week four of the competition.
“They had me back the following season and I had a partner that was really difficult — and not say too much because I don’t want to,” she said. “I wasn’t able to be in the room alone with him after the first couple of weeks because of things that happened.”
She added, “That was rocky and we were eliminated very quickly.”