Olivia Jade Giannulli, the daughter of the disgraced former “Full House” and “Fuller House” star Lori Loughlin, made her debut on ABC’s 30th season of “Dancing With The Stars” on Monday night. Unfortunately, things did not go so well for the 21 year old; it didn’t take long for fans to turn on her.
Olivia Jade Giannulli’s Debut
Giannulli found herself in hot water immediately when she proudly declared, “I’m probably best known for being an influencer.”
This did not sit well with fans, as they were quick to let the Olivia Jade know that she is in fact best known for her parents’ college admissions scandal that landed them both in prison for paying $500,000 in bribe money to have her and her sister admitted to the University of Southern California as members of the crew team, even though neither girl had ever rowed before.
Olivia Jade said, “The last few years I’ve been wrapped up in a scandal. I did step back from social media and just soak in what everybody was saying. I’m not trying to pull a pity card, I just need to step forward and do better.”
Check out her first dance with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy below:
Backstory: Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Joins ‘DWTS’ – See Who Else Made The Cast
Fans Roast Olivia Jade
Fans didn’t hesitate to skewer Giannulli on social media:
Olivia Jade on #DWTS:
"I think I'm best known for being an influencer".
Nah, we all know what you're best known for and it's not that.
— Rose McBride (@rosemcbridetv) September 21, 2021
OLIVIA JADE CALLED HERSELF AN INFLUENCER ON #DWTS BUT LIKE IS THAT REALLY WHY YOUR DANCING? pic.twitter.com/jFEsi3VX6u
— chels 🍉🍉 (@rodeoclownjawn) September 21, 2021
https://twitter.com/fren_emys/status/1440112042896019456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1440112042896019456%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Folivia-jade-influencer-dancing-with-the-stars_n_6149adf2e4b077b735ea682c
Olivia Jade: I’m best known for being an influencer
Literally everyone:#DWTS #dwts30 #DancingWiththeStars pic.twitter.com/IogrMNstR6— Tori Burns (@tarheeltori) September 21, 2021
https://twitter.com/saraa_mae/status/1440113868517244931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1440113868517244931%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Folivia-jade-influencer-dancing-with-the-stars_n_6149adf2e4b077b735ea682c
Olivia Jade ended up in eighth place out of 15 couples by the end of last night. That put her right in the middle of the pack. It remains to be seen whether or not she will earn enough of a fan vote to remain in the competition.
Her sister Bella was in the audience cheering her on.
“It was great having my sister in the crowd,” she told Page Six and other reporters after the show. “She’s my best friend in the world so her support is everything and it brings a level of comfort knowing my older sister is there watching me.
Chmerkovkiy Defends Her
Despite the backlash from her fans, Giannulli’s seasoned partner Chmerkovskiy stood by her.
“I think this is a great experience for Olivia, but this is an experience that she has — and continues to — earn every single day,” he told US Weekly right after the premiere.
He continued, “She came into the room with the desire to do her best, to learn the craft. She respects the show, she loves the show, she’s a fan of the show. All I want to do is teach her how to dance and let her shine.”
Related: Tyra Banks Defends Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Olivia Jade Being Cast On ‘DWTS’
Chmerkovskiy went on to reference Giannulli’s parents, Lori Louglin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli.
“Because everything else, her parents gave her: they gave her the talent, they gave her the look, they gave her the discipline,” he continued. “Now, she’s taken all the qualities that all the folks in her life gave her and she’s carrying them forward with a lot of pride and grace and I’m just a small part of her story. Her story’s gonna be long and prosperous and beautiful and I’m excited.”
In order to survive on “Dancing With The Stars,” Olivia Jade will need to win over fans, as their votes combined with her scores from the judges are what will keep her on the show.
However, given the backlash she received on the very first night, it seems that Lori Loughlin’s has an uphill battle ahead of her.