Karina Smirnoff in Playboy Could Get 'Dancing' Star in Hot Water

By Rob Shuter Posted Apr 7th 2011 12:02PM

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner announced on Wednesday that the "May issue of Playboy is unforgettable with Dancing With the Stars' Karina Smirnoff on the cover and nude inside," causing people backstage at the hit family show to freak out.

"If Karina posed naked, she can kiss her dancing days goodbye," a 'DWTS' insider told me immediately after hearing of Hef's announcement on Twitter. "I hope for Karina's sake that this isn't true."

Oh, but it looks to be true as Us Weekly says they've confirmed, though Karina's rep has yet to respond and ABC told me they weren't commenting. In the meantime, the sexy dancer will continue to wow audiences each week with surprise favorite 'Karate Kid' Ralph Macchio. However, the biggest surprise is going to come later this month when the May issue of Playboy hits newsstands.

Given Ralph and Karina's popularity so far this season, it seems more than likely that they will still be foxtrotting away when the issue is released to the world.

The immediate response of ABC, I'm told, is that having one of their dancers pose naked during an ongoing season could "soil" the wholesome show's image.

"ABC publicity department controls the image of this show with an iron fist. It's a cash cow and they are not going to allow its reputation to be soiled by a dancer who wants to do Playboy," an ABC source tells me.

Aside from getting into hot water with family-TV fans and the network, I'm told that Karina may have violated the terms of her contract by posing for the venerable lad mag without getting her bosses to sign off on it.

It wouldn't be the first time a member of the 'DWTS' family has had to be stopped.

"Just a few weeks ago, ABC PR stopped [the show's host] Tom Bergeron from doing a live webcast with an outlet they didn't approve of. I can only imagine is going on right now after Hef's tweet."

Karina also wouldn't be the only person on the ballroom floor who has posed naked in Playboy. Hugh has visited the ballroom several times to cheer on his former girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson as a contestant on the show, but obviously he was paying close attention to another lady on the dance floor.

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Tags: Dancing With the Stars, Hugh Hefner, Karina Smirnoff, Playboy

Comments

(126)

Friday 08 April

By Wade Bell

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Sherry.........They also now can add to their list a convicted felon too.....Tom Delay.......They snatch up all these controversial people for the show but oh my someone in their own causes a little and it's Katie Bar The Door You're Outta Here!!!!!!! No....they won't get any sympanthy from me.....

Thursday 07 April

By Annette

If ABC has a morals clause in her contract that prohits such things as posing nude, she could be fired. Having someone appear on the show of dubious morals is not the same as having one of their "employees" doing something that's not approved of...no matter how many guys are watching and get the "hots" for the dancers.

By Lora

I think it's extremely unfair to Ralph. Despite what many of you are saying about it being her own body and she should do what she wants, the reality is that many people will not like it and will turn on her and not vote for Ralph because they don't want her to win. Like it or not...fair or not...it could happen. She should have done it off season.

By jr

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Does anyone actually believe that any of these girls are Hugh's "girlfriends"? The fall asleep constantly through out the day and we're suppose to believe that these chicks are in to him??? Spare me!The guy hasn't had a woody since Reagan was in office!!!

By abba

At 85 yrs. old you could give Hef a blow-up doll and he wouldn't know the difference!!!!!!!

By mary

There is absolutely no reason she would tarnish DWTS because of posing nude in Playboy. They (ABC) tout it as a family show, and it is, sort of, I guess. But unless you're going to pull out the Playboy and show your children and say 'See this naked girl, kids? She's the one on DWTS!', how are they going to know? And I guess you have other issues if you did that! (no pun intended)

By Diana Fuentes

Yes.. It's her body, she's beautiful and "can" flaunt it if she wants to, but why do it? She has an amazing talent and is loved within the dancing industry. No need to bare your clothes for the world to see.

This is not even about DWTS's or ABC... It's about all the little girls that look up to her and want to be just like her when they grow up. This is why this world is so corrupted and madly insane.

I feel very sorry for Ralph, great dancer, but he won't have a partner for long. Hope it's all worth it!

SHAME ON YOU KARINA

By Bob

Give me a break, half the females that have decent bodies dance around half naked on the show already. How do you think they get all the husbands and boy friends to watch in the first place.

People we aren't in the 50's anymore Pretty. Females can pose nude, it's no big deal.

By Craig

Brooke Burke has posed twice for Playboy, was a contestant after doing so, and now is co-hosting the show.

By d

karine don't disillusion the young fans u have by stooping to hef's misogynistic ploy.

By gailneuman

Not pretty enough at all to be on the cover

By ajschrod

What relation to Yakov?

By Sir Vincent

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Karina, you don't need Playboy Magazine to make you famous, you already are. If it is more money that you need,you will receive that in a movie you will play a part. Don't ask me how I know that. I'm in the business of knowing. Be calm, with your dress on of course.

By KG

Posing nude in Playboy Magazine, may be degrading for Hugh Hefner, but a step up for Karina. Unfortunately, her reputation has a lot to be desired, as does her stage presence. Too bad, DWTS, did keep her on! What bothers me, why would DWTS, have an objection to her posing in this magazine, that would be her business, and if they are worried about morals, why did they have Chris Brown on this show, they truly are endorsing immoral acts and domestic violence! They do need to revamp and give their standards of what the rules for appearing on this show should be!

I've never cared for Karina and felt she is lacking personality, that she's a hindrence to her partners. As much as Ralph Macchio does perform well on this show, I feel she's holding him back! I am truly enjoying Hines, he's so lively, fun to watch and has great moves. Edita is missed, as is Mark Ballas' father and Julian Hough. Seriously, if Karina Smirnof never returned to this show, that for me would be a blessing.

Saturday 09 April

By Today Buzz News

Thank you so much for providing such a informative article on this topic. I really appreciate your work, Please keep it up budy. God Bless you.

By DWTS Junkie

DWTS wholesome? Oh PLEASE!!! Bruno the gay judge loves to stand and gyrate to the audience and half the time right in Len's face, and then begs the Bachelor to keep dancing in just his shirt and tighty whities while his eyes bulge and lickin' his chops. He's an ABC employee and makes no bones about wanting to have sex with the (male) contestants - its disgusting.

I LOVE the show, but moral turpitude is the bowels of ABC!!!!!

GO KARINA AND RALPH!!!!!!

By Ken

The moral standards of the show are corrupted to say the least. First, the stars they have on, aren't exactly angels and never will be. Second, the "barely there" costumes the women wear aren't modest in the least. Those aren't "dance costumes" they are, for the most part, just bikinis with sequins on them. So a "family show" - ah, no not in the slighest. So, even though I disagree with a great many things about the show's family values (or lack thereof), kicking Karina off the show for being in a nude publication during the show is the right thing to do. But they need to also take a good long look at themselves and clean up the show elsewhere too - starting with the costume designer.

By piqueaboo

What a dumb tramp. I won't vote for her again.

By cblogical

we all make mistakes

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