Dancing With the Stars: 'We never asked Taryn Manning to take part'

A representative for U.S. TV show Dancing With the Stars has slammed Taryn Manning's claims that she turned down the chance to appear on the show.

The Orange Is the New Black star had told the New York Post's gossip column Page Six that she opted against competing on the talent competition for fears she would be viewed as a "has been". However, a spokesperson for Dancing With the Stars has denied her claims, insisting she was the one who asked to be part of the show but they declined.

"Taryn claims she’s been asked to join the cast ‘many times,’ however, we have never asked Taryn to be part of the show,” the representative told Page Six. “Her representation attempted to pitch her to us a while back and we kindly passed. So her claim that she was asked to join DWTS once, never mind many times, is completely false.

"Her thoughts that the contestants consist of ‘has-beens’ seems to be her own projection onto talent that we have asked to cast."

Tarryn had claimed she was approached to take part in the hit dance contest several times.

"I've been asked to be on many times," she said. "I have this weird phobia that (competing on the show) means you're a has-been, and I never want to believe that's the case. Maybe it's my own stuff, but, yeah, I'm definitely a good dancer."

Former Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe was voted off the current season of the show earlier this week, while rapper Nelly and Backstreet Boys singer A.J. McLean are among the celebrities still dancing on the series.