Top 20 Most Controversial Dancing with the Stars Contestants

Nicole Scherzinger surprised almost no one when she took the mirrorball trophy back in season 10. Why? Well, because she’s most famous for spending much of the 00s fronting the pop-burlesque group The Pussycat Dolls. Nevertheless, ask almost any dancer, and they’ll likely tell you that even for the best-trained professionals, Ballroom and Latin is like a whole other ball(room) game. Yet, no one can deny that having a dance background certainly gave Scherzinger an edge in the competition. The whole debate about celebs with dance experience always stirs things up, especially when they come from shows that have “Dance” in the title.

Jamie Lynn Spears joining the season 32 lineup definitely got people talking. Her messy relationship with Britney was already all over the headlines, especially with their very public feud. Spears lasted just two weeks, and some fans were side-eyeing the Britney Army for possibly playing a part in her early exit. The drama only grew when rumors swirled that she’d secured a payment usually reserved for finalists. Soon after she was cut, she joined the U.K.’s “I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!” but quit after ten days, reportedly on medical grounds. So, some viewers were surprised to see her back on the dance floor during the finals a week later.

The 2016 U.S. elections were probably one of the most polarizing times of the 21st century so far. When we tuned in to our favorite dance show, we just wanted to escape the chaos and get lost in the glitz and glamor. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, with both seasons that year featuring figures who reminded us of the very thing we were trying to avoid. Marla Maples couldn’t exactly distance herself from her infamous ex, but Rick Perry was arguably even more controversial. He had just been running for the Republican nomination! He may have hung up his campaign hat, but it felt like the series was dancing around the issues.

Remember the college admissions scandal? How could we forget, especially with some of the famous faces involved? So, when social media influencer and vlogger Olivia Jade Giannulli was announced for season 30, a lot of people weren’t thrilled about her getting such a big platform, given her family’s role in that mess. Olivia Jade denied using the show as the catalyst for her “redemption story” but did say she hoped it would help the public see that she had grown up and deserved a fresh start. And, well, it seems like plenty of viewers were willing to give her that second chance as she danced her way to the quarter-finals.

When Tom DeLay joined season nine of “Dancing with the Stars,” he was known for his role as the U.S. House Majority Leader and for being involved in a major corruption scandal. In 2005, he was accused of money laundering and conspiracy. Although he was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to three years in prison, his sentence was overturned in 2013 due to lack of evidence. The scandal significantly damaged DeLay's political career. Still, that didn't stop him from being one of the loudest voices in the birther conspiracy theory against President Obama. On the show, DeLay was paired with Cheryl Burke but had to withdraw after just three weeks due to injuries.

In 1991, Harding made history as America’s champion and the first U.S. woman to land a triple Axel at a world-level competition. But in 1994, her achievements were marred by her connection to an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan, who incidentally also competed in “Dancing with the Stars.” The rivalry between the figure skaters turned serious when Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, was accused of hiring someone to knock Kerrigan out of the competition. Although Harding wasn’t directly involved in the attack, she was found guilty of “conspiracy to hinder prosecution” for withholding information. Fans were mostly shocked to see Harding on the show just a couple of seasons after Kerrigan.

The Gosselins rose to fame after the birth of their sextuplets led them to a life of reality television. Things seemed to start unraveling around the time Kate and Jon split. After that, scandal seemed to follow this family almost everywhere. Roughly around the same time as her divorce, Kate joined the dance show, and controversy shadowed her there, too. She and her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, were no dream team. Despite the drama, they danced their way to Week 5, finishing with a foxtrot to Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” although it sounds like Dovolani would’ve preferred to forget it all. He told Anderson Cooper he sought professional help after their elimination.

When the pro boxer joined “Dancing with the Stars” in season five, he came with a controversial history, including multiple assault charges and some convictions. Despite his sizable fan base that might have boosted ratings, his past actions raised serious concerns about his casting. Even so, he and his dance partner Karina Smirnoff managed to evade elimination until week 4. Still, his legal troubles didn’t end there. The following year, he faced even more charges, and unfortunately, they weren’t his last. This casting choice sparked a lot of debate about whether a star’s past should be overlooked for the sake of entertainment.

Peterson’s casting in season 32 caused so much controversy that even former pro dancers expressed their shock and disgust. The former NFL player had been charged with severe crimes in 2014 and continued to face legal issues afterward. Former pro-dancer Sharna Burgess told iHeartRadio’s “Old-ish” podcast that she would have “[turned] around and [walked] right out” if she had been paired with Peterson. Cheryl Burke agreed but noted that as professionals, sometimes you have to take the cards you’re dealt. Executive producer Deena Katz defended the choice, stating they’d done their “due diligence” and found him to be “a lovely family man,” emphasizing that everyone makes mistakes and they consider the “broader picture” when casting.

During their time on the show, Andy and his partner Sharna Burgess cemented themselves as fan favorites. However, the actor’s overall experience ended on a sour note when he returned for the finals. He caused concern due to his erratic behavior throughout the night, especially due to his history of substance abuse. It’s said that matters escalated with Andy lunging at and inappropriately touching a staffer with security having to get involved and escort him out. Sadly, it seemed like the scandals were just beginning as more claims emerged of sexual harassment on movie sets, which he has denied.

If you’re wondering why this young celebrity looks so familiar, you might have seen her on television or YouTube, perhaps you’re familiar with her singing career or maybe from where it all began on “Dance Moms.” Yes, you heard us correctly, “Dance Moms.” Mackenzie is a trained dancer, which left some viewers skeptical over her participation in the show. Paired with Sage Rosen and mentored by Gleb Savchenko, she achieved the season’s first perfect score and sashayed straight to the finals. However, previous dance training doesn’t necessarily win you the mirrorball, which she lost out to professional skateboarder, Sky Brown.

This former Fox News correspondent is never too far away from controversy. While he was lacing up his dance shoes, viewers were reminded of numerous contentious moments throughout his career. From victim blaming, to shaming and bragging about his active… “social life” in his 1991 memoir “Exposing Myself.” Even after the show, during the rise of the

This was the first time “Dancing with the Stars” crossed into the political realm, which was a controversial move in itself. As the daughter of Sarah Palin, some believed the odds were against her. However, despite her consistently low scores, she still managed to dodge elimination and end up in the finals, raising quite a few eyebrows. During this season, security had to be tightened after she received death threats and a suspicious white powder was delivered to the show, fortunately, it tested as harmless. Still, riding on the wave of controversy, Bristol finished in a very respectable third place.

Shortly after an ex-employee sued Paula and her brother for racism and sexual harassment, the TV cook joined the lineup in a bid for the mirrorball. While Deen had endorsement deals and contracts canceled, the show still seemingly didn’t see any reason not to welcome her. Although the case was eventually settled out of court, this wouldn’t be the only time she’d be accused of racism. Deen said she felt the judges didn’t want her there and critics argued that her inclusion showed complete disregard for her behavior. Despite the growing anger from audiences, she was able to compete until elimination.

Previous dance training doesn’t make this contest a waltz in the park with viewers often quick to point out the unfair advantage. While Jordan Fisher did manage to win despite his Broadway background, viewers struggled to warm up to Heather Morris, leading to her shock elimination in week six. While now she may be best known for playing Brittany S. Pierce in “Glee,” she is also a trained dancer and choreographer who at one point even danced back up for Beyoncé. Her elimination surprised her critics as well as her fans, with some claiming she was robbed of the mirrorball.

In 2020, Netflix’s documentary series “Tiger King” had the world gripped, introducing us to animal activist Carole Baskin. One of the biggest plot lines to emerge from the show aroused some suspicion that she may have been involved with the disappearance of her ex-husband, Don Lewis. Understandably her inclusion in Season 29 made headlines and to add to the controversy, her ex-in-laws paid to run an advertisement during her dance debut, offering a substantial reward for anyone with information. However, audiences weren’t wild about her dance skills anyway and she became the second person to be eliminated.

While most people on our list are known for something beyond their controversies, Anna Delvey, or Sorokin, is famous purely for being a con artist. In fact, she was introduced as a “scam artist” in her casting announcement. She’s even competing in season 33 with her ankle monitor still on. Anna was arrested in 2017 after it was revealed she had been masquerading as a German heiress to swindle New York’s elite, including the hospitality and arts sectors. After being released from prison, she was placed under house arrest by ICE for visa violations. Although she’s confined to New York, she received special permission to travel to LA for the series. Outraged fans feel the show is glamorizing crime.

As we mentioned earlier, in a country already divided by politics, we looked to entertainment shows for a much-needed breather, but in Season 28, this was not to be. Viewers were enraged by Sean Spicer’s participation and how he seemed to be trying to use this opportunity to distance himself from his involvement in the Trump administration. They objected to “Dancing with the Stars” giving him a platform for self-promotion. Even Tom Bergeron tweeted his disappointment and stated that the show should be “a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate.” Despite all the outrage, however, Spicer somehow managed to survive elimination for eight weeks.

Due to their consistently average performances, fans were surprised when Bobby and his partner Sharna were announced as the Season 27 winners. Considering that this pair’s scores were constantly lower than their competitors, viewers questioned if the winners had been chosen due to popularity rather than talent. Some argued that his sportsmanship throughout the show wasn’t great either and that he was always quick to throw snide comments at the other celebrities. Until the finals, he had never even scored above an eight and some thought that his freestyle routine to “The Greatest Show” was overmarked. Talk about a polarizing figure!

This Olympic champ fell from grace after fabricating a story about being held at gunpoint in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Despite admitting to overexaggerating the incident, he lost all four of his major sponsors and it seems the nation wasn’t entirely ready to forgive either. His debut performance to “Call Me Irresponsible” was overshadowed when two protesters stormed the stage. Security had to get involved and the pair were later arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing. Lochte said he had come on the show to prove he had changed and said he felt “a little hurt” by the incident.

Which controversial “Dancing with the Stars” casting choice made you switch off, and did any pique your intrigue more? Let us know in the comments!