The Most Controversial Moments on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Throughout The Years

The first controversial moment on Dancing With The Stars was Carole Baskin‘s casting on Season 29 of the show, which she joined fresh off Netflix’s Tiger King. The big cat activist sparked drama amongst fans, as they were still debating her potential involvement in her former husband Don Lewis‘s disappearance.

During the premiere episode, Lewis’s family even purchased a commercial spot, asking for information about his case. Paired with Pasha Pashkov, Baskin embraced her unique persona but she struggled with the actual dancing part.

But, after three weeks of cat-themed routines – including a dance to “Eye of the Tiger“. Later, it was her dance to “Circle of Life” that got her eliminated.

Next, Sara Evans‘ exit from Season 3 became one of the show’s most dramatic departures. As one of the earliest seasons of the show, maybe some of you may remember when the country singer quit mid-competition in October 2006. She made the announcement the same day she filed for divorce from her husband Craig Schelske.

Initially, Evans simply stated she needed to focus on her family during a difficult time. But, the situation quickly intensified when her divorce documents became public. These papers contained serious allegations against Schelske, including claims of adultery.

Years later, Evans revealed a different side to her departure. In recent interviews, she opened up about experiencing severe panic attacks and anxiety during her time on the show. She explained that these mental health challenges, combined with the show’s demanding schedule, ultimately led to her decision to leave the competition.

Also Read: The Top 10 Most Provocative Movies of the 80s 

Another controversial moment on Dancing With The Stars was the casting of Olivia Jade in Season 30. There was immediate backlash as she joined the competition while still caught up in her infamous college admissions scandal.

If you don’t know her from that, maybe you know her as the social media influencer or as the daughter of actress Lori Loughlin. During her time on the show, she faced plenty of criticism from viewers who felt she didn’t deserve her spot after her parents’ involvement in the nationwide bribery scheme.

Despite the controversy, Jade surprised audiences by showing a genuine dedication to the competition. Paired with pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, she made it to eighth place before her elimination.

Related: Top 10 Sylvester Stallone Movies of All Time

In the most recent season, the “Fake German Heiress”, Anna Delvey, appeared on Dancing with the Stars, drawing widespread attention.

Delvey, who gained infamy for scamming New York’s elite (later inspiring a Netflix series called Inventing Anna) joined the competition after getting permission to film while under house arrest. Paired with pro dancer Pasha Pashkov, Delvey brought her signature attitude… or lack thereof…to the ballroom.

Her most memorable moment came when host Julianne Hough asked what she had learned from competing on the show. Delvey’s deadpan response of “nothing” instantly went viral. She was eliminated in week two, but her time on the show was memorable, controversial, and quite iconic.

Next, one of the most shocking shake-ups in Dancing with the Stars history came in July 2020, when longtime host Tom Bergeron and co-host Erin Andrews were suddenly dismissed.

Bergeron had hosted the show for 15 years and had recently signed a three-season contract before the dismissal. Behind the scenes, tensions had grown over casting decisions, particularly regarding political figures during election season. Bergeron had been vocal about wanting to keep the show as “a wonderful escape” from political divisiveness.

After they left, Tyra Banks took over hosting duties. Although, she was more recently replaced by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough for Season 32. The sudden exit of both beloved hosts was one of the biggest changes in the show’s history, earning it a spot on our list of controversial moments on Dancing With The Stars.

In probably the most unique controversial moment in DWTS history, Ryan Lochte‘s debut erupted in chaos after his first performance. The Olympic swimmer joined the show amid backlash from his Rio Olympics scandal, where he had admitted to exaggerating claims about getting robbed at gunpoint.

During Lochte’s critique from the judges, two protesters wearing anti-Lochte shirts rushed the dance floor while four others shouted from the audience. Security immediately tackled the stage crashers, who also later arrested for trespassing.

Unsurprisingly, after cutting to commercial, Lochte and partner Cheryl Burke appeared visibly shaken. But, fellow contestants allied around the swimmer and encouraged him to continue competing.

Another one of the darkest off-stage controversies of the show occurred around Hope Solo‘s time on Season 13. Following her time on the show, Solo released a memoir detailing incidents with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, claiming he was physically aggressive during their rehearsals.

She even described a particularly serious confrontation during their Halloween episode preparations. ABC offered her a new partner, but she declined the switch. Chmerkovskiy later denied all allegations through social media posts.

And, of course, the producers never officially addressed the situation, leaving it as one of the most serious scandals in the show’s history.

I think we all remember Kate, the reality TV mom famous from Jon & Kate Plus 8. She appeared in Season 10 of the show. Paired with professional dancer Tony Dovolani, her controversial moment came when the dancer truly reached his breaking point.

During an intense rehearsal, the mother of eight clashed with Dovolani over teaching styles, leading him to storm out of the studio declaring “I quit!” Although Dovolani returned and apologized, their partnership never truly recovered. The blow-up exposed how the show’s intense pressure could break even the pros!

Also Read: Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of the 70s

Last, radio personality Bobby Bones shocked everyone by winning Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars with partner Sharna Burgess.

Despite getting the lowest scores from judges week after week, Bones’ huge fan base kept voting him through. He beat out much better dancers like Milo Mannheim and Evanna Lynch in the finale. The win caused an uproar about the show’s voting system. Even current co-host Julianne Hough recently called it “the win that never should have happened.”

For Burgess, her first trophy in 14 years as a pro became known as the win nobody wanted. Although, she pointed out that clearly plenty of fans wanted it, since that’s how voting works, after all.