A Public Gesture of Reconciliation
Following a wave of backlash, Dancing With the Stars contestant Jackson Olson has reached out to his fellow competitor, Guillermo Rodriguez, to make amends. The 29-year-old athlete took to Instagram on Tuesday, October 6, to address the situation directly.
«To G and to all of you, from the bottom of my heart I am so sorry about my comment I made the other day and that it caused this much negativity,» Olson stated. «I love this guy ❤️ now let’s do what this show is meant to be about.. DANCE 🕺 ily G.»
Context Behind the Controversy
The tension arose after the Savannah Bananas player shared a video featuring audio from the Hannah Montana song «Nobody's Perfect.» While the post was intended to be lighthearted—showing both Olson and the 55-year-old Rodriguez dancing in matching sunglasses—a caption accompanying the video caused friction. Olson wrote, «But seriously, how did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal,» which many fans interpreted as a jab at Rodriguez's consistently low scores throughout season 35.
Defending the Competition Format
Despite the online discourse, both men are moving forward in the competition, preparing for the upcoming Mariah Carey Night. Rodriguez has remained resilient despite his placement on the leaderboard, a sentiment echoed by his professional dance partner, Britt Stewart.
Stewart has previously stepped in to defend the nature of the show, emphasizing that audience engagement is the core of the experience. «This is not a dance competition,» she noted on social media. «The point is to vote for your favorite, and that’s why the voting system is in place. [...] If you love to watch dance and you love to watch good dancing, that’s what you’re gonna vote for.»
While their scores have remained modest, the pair has managed to stay in the running thanks to strong support from viewers at home. Stewart also noted that the panel of judges—Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli—seems to be shifting their perspective, with the pro adding, «I feel like we’re slowly winning them over.»
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.