Top 20 Craziest Dancing with the Stars Scandals

In the semifinal of season 20, decorated US soldier and motivational speaker Noah Galloway proposed to his then-girlfriend Jamie live on air. Longtime co-host Erin Andrews’ peculiar reaction drew lots of viewer backlash. The viewers accused her of rolling her eyes at the proposal. However, Andrews took to social media to clear up the confusion. She responded by saying she just made an awkward “ugly cry” face at the worst time. Viewers decided to leap to the harshest possible conclusion. Galloway defended Andrews the next day, calling accusations that the co-host was trying to ruin the moment completely off-base.

Daytime TV show host Jerry Springer and his partner, professional dancer Kym Johnson, were consistently among the lowest-scored season 3 duos week to week. It was mainly the audience votes that saved them from elimination. They lasted a good seven weeks before they were eliminated. The influx of votes for Springer was generally attributed to controversial radio hosts Opie Hughes and Anthony Cumia. They began plugging his appearance on the show, encouraging their listeners to keep Springer in the competition, regardless of his performance. Let’s just say, he wasn’t the lightest on his feet. At least he had fun.

When “General Hospital” actress Kelly Monaco and her professional partner Alec Mazo won the very first season of the show, the fan reaction was swift. Season 1’s runner-up, John O’Hurley, had scored consistently higher throughout the first season. The judges said Monaco had simply bested him in the final round. The actress was inundated with criticism, and the integrity of the show was questioned by a vocal minority. The controversy led to a rematch a few months later. The rules were changed to only account for the audience’s vote, which made O’Hurley and his partner, Charlotte Jørgensen, the winners by a narrow 1% lead. But overriding its own finale result wasn’t a good look for the show. A rematch hasn’t been staged since.

Brother and sister Derek and Julianne Hough are giants on the dancefloor. The pros have had their share of glory on “Dancing with the Stars,” so when Julianne became a permanent judge on the panel in season 19, it seemed like a solid choice. Except for one small hiccup. Derek Hough was still in the competition. The ethics of siblings judging siblings became a hot topic as some, including fellow pro dancer Karina Smirnoff, questioned the newest addition to the panel. Accusations that Julianne was favoring her brother continued throughout the season, although Hough herself wholeheartedly denied this.

Usually, when you step on someone’s foot, you apologize. Apparently, season 14’s Jaleel White had a very different reaction. Reports that he unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse on his professional partner, Kym Johnson, spread like wildfire. White, most known for playing Steve Urkel on “Family Matters,” was allegedly insulting Johnson for reacting when he stepped on her foot during rehearsal. Johnson’s fellow pro, Mark Ballas, also got involved. White downplayed the severity of the incident, but didn’t outright deny an argument happened. If there was lingering tension though, it didn’t show on the dance floor. The two were a great pair.

Sometimes, a celebrity outstays their welcome on a season simply because of the controversy their appearance drums up. Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaskan governor and vice presidential nominee, is a perfect example of that phenomenon. She was a big get for the show. Her mother’s VP run and her own teenage pregnancy were controversial enough. Accusations that Palin’s spot was less about her dancing and more about the politics plagued her run on the show. Despite her consistently low scores, she ended up placing third. It got under enough viewers’ skin to get some pretty heavy media coverage.

One of the biggest ongoing controversies surrounding “DWTS” comes up season after season. Do stars who have more dancing experience ruin the spirit of the show? Winners are especially vulnerable to this criticism. Season 19 winner and “Fresh Prince” star Alfonso Ribeiro began his career in a Broadway musical. Jennifer Grey, star of “Dirty Dancing,” won season 11. JoJo Siwa was a runner-up on the 30th season, but first came to prominence in the “Dance Moms” franchise. The point of the show was supposed to be watching these stars discover a new talent or lack of talent, as the case may be. Some viewers think that a background in dancing should disqualify a celebrity contestant from competing all together.

Season 26, also known as “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes,” pitted professional athletes against each other. ABC filled the cast with everyone from Olympic medalists to major league players. A scandal erupted, however, when it was announced that former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding was among the celebrity contestants. Harding’s infamous connection to the 1994 attack on her skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan, found her banned from the sport and stripped of her US Championship win. While the show didn’t seem to linger on the sordid details, her inclusion sparked another round of media scrutiny around her in the wake of the Oscar-winning biopic, “I, Tonya.” Still, the criticism didn’t stop her from achieving a third place finish.

Season 13 started off with a bang. Upon the cast release, some critics called for a boycott over the inclusion of Chaz Bono, a transgender activist and the son of pop superstar Cher. The backlash was almost immediate. Unfortunately, message boards and comment sections were ablaze with Internet users swearing they’d never watch the show again. Over a decade on, it didn’t seem to have much impact on the show’s success. Instead, Bono was largely celebrated for his appearance, and millions tuned in to watch him make it roughly halfway through the season. The press attention may have even drawn more eyes to the season.

Gossip swirled around this season 2 partnership, whose steps were so in sync, it led them all the way to the coveted Mirrorball. But that wasn’t the only big headline the 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey and his pro Cheryl Burke pulled during the show. Rumors circulated online and in the tabloids that there was a genuine spark between them on and offstage. Both denied rumors of an affair. It was a particularly thorny situation, given that Lachey was married. Even years passing after their win didn’t stop the media attention or speculation. Burke would later admit to having had romances with three of her celebrity partners, but only mentioned season 10’s Chad Ochocinco Johnson by name.

While a possible appearance had been rumored for years, the former Food Network star was announced as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars”’ 21st season. Many saw it as a desperate grab for headlines and an attempt to rehabilitate the disgraced celebrity chef’s image. Just two years earlier, Deen landed in hot water over her admission to the continual use of a racial slur and allegations of discrimination. She lost her shows and several of her brand deals as a result. Deen was still seen as persona non grata when she was extended an invitation to appear on season 21.

Netflix’s outrageous and unexpected early COVID-era success, “Tiger King,” kept us all glued to the TV. It also ignited a firestorm of hatred for Carole Baskin, Joe Exotic’s sworn enemy in the world of big cat conservation. The documentary is full of accusations that Baskin was somehow responsible for her missing ex-husband’s disappearance. Thus, there was immediate outrage over her appearance on “Dancing with the Stars’” 29th season. The family of Don Lewis, Carole’s missing ex, even paid for an attack ad to run during the show. But as it usually does, if anything, it brought more eyes to the season. Baskin would only make it to the third week before getting the chop.

Most famous for her role as an air-headed cheerleader on “Glee,” Heather Morris was no stranger to dancing professionally. This led to a bit of pre-season controversy in itself, with some suggesting her professional experience gave her an unfair advantage. But the former backup dancer for Beyoncé wasn’t safe from the public vote. Even after repeatedly getting great scores from the judges, she was unexpectedly and controversially eliminated on the “Dancing”’s 24th season. In fact, the week she was eliminated, she and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were the only duo to get a perfect score.

Long before she was burning up the screen in “Dune,” “Euphoria,” and “Challengers,” Zendaya was mostly known for her work on the Disney Channel. She took part in “Dancing with the Stars”’ 16th season, and nearly won the entire thing. A voting glitch during finale week led to fan voting via ABC.com being unavailable. Country singer Kellie Pickler emerged the winner. Many fans argued Zendaya and her popular partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, would have won if not for the voting mishap. It’s hard to say if that’s true, as Pickler and her partner, Derek Hough, absolutely slayed the finale performance. But the season 16 finale will always be a sore spot for many fans.

The producers behind the show came under fire when they announced former NFL running back Adrian Peterson was joining the cast. It wasn’t his football background that gave viewers pause. It was his past legal issues. In 2014, Peterson was charged and pleaded no contest to reckless or negligent injury to a child. The ensuing scandal caused legal friction with the NFL and tarnished his public image. Many people, like former cast member and professional dancer Sharna Burgess, were vehemently opposed to his casting. Producers framed his appearance on the show as a way of giving the former player another chance. Whether it worked or not remains to be seen. Peterson only lasted four weeks.

Some partnerships on the show are like matches made in heaven. Others are like matches made somewhere else. In her memoir, professional soccer player and season 13 contestant Hope Solo detailed the unpleasant and adversarial relationship she had with her dancing pro, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Describing his rough and unforgiving approach, Solo notably accused him of slapping her during rehearsals. The pro reportedly denied these allegations. He only added fuel to the fire when he later was asked to “F, Marry, and Kill” three of his former partners on the show. Three guesses who ended up in the kill slot. Their feud only became more public, with both having since made it very clear just how much they can’t stand each other.

Swimmer Ryan Lochte had only just returned from his scandalous Rio escapades when he appeared on season 23. The gold medalist landed in hot water when he lied about being the victim of an armed robbery. He and his teammates mischaracterized an incident of disorderly conduct that occurred while they were in Brazil for the Olympics. Lochte’s involvement on “Dancing with the Stars” only added fuel to the fire. During the season premiere, a pair of protesters rushed Lochte onstage, calling the swimmer a “liar” for his conduct abroad. The incident was obscured on the live broadcast, but was widely reported afterward.

After steering the ship at the show’s helm for 28 seasons, the longtime host was shockingly dismissed after disagreements with the producers. Indeed, he and co-host Erin Andrews were let go before season 29. Bergeron claims his firing was due to his advocating for non-political contestants. He thought the producers agreed with him. But then, when the cast of his final season was announced, he made his displeasure known in as professional a way as possible. This left a bad enough taste in the producers’ mouths that he was let out of his contract early, and the show hired Tyra Banks to replace him. Banks got mixed reviews, at best. Viewers couldn’t help but miss Bergeron’s well-practiced and stalwart presence on the program.

People always have their favorites in the contest, but sometimes, the public chooses massive popularity over dance skills. That was what clearly happened when media personality Bobby Bones and his professional partner, Sharna Burgess, were crowned the season 27 Mirrorball champions. The duo consistently got low scores, even as the season came to a close, which made many question the importance of dancing ability at all. Critics, fans, and commentators felt the show had finally jumped the shark. During “DWTS”’ next season, viewers assumed an overhaul to the elimination process was a direct result of Bones’ win over more deserving performers.

In the fall of 2019, the 2020 election was already shaping up to be a contentious one. And that was before COVID-19 was even a thing. Casting the controversial former press secretary for the Trump Administration didn’t do much to help matters. In fact, it caused an uproar on social media and even host Tom Bergeron couldn’t hold back his displeasure at such a political contestant. But Spicer’s stint, which ended week 9, was just as controversial. Trump himself tweeted out to his followers that they should vote to keep him in. His lackluster skills, constant low scores, and success in the public vote made sure he overstayed his welcome in the competition.

Did we miss any “Dancing with the Stars” scandals? Let us know in the comments.