Former Dancing With the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold is not here for criticism from viewers after the season 34 premiere.
“Y’all are mean. The amount of videos I’ve seen [that are] literally trashing the pros, the troupe, the hosts and judges,” Arnold, 31, said in a TikTok video shared Thursday, September 18. “It’s making me sick. I literally feel sick to my stomach. You understand that these are real people, right?”
She continued, “This isn’t some made-up TV show, where they’re playing characters. This is not Conrad, Belly and Jeremiah [from The Summer I Turned Pretty], where we can just comment on their decisions and their choices and their lives.”
DWTS season 34 premiered on Tuesday, September 16, soon sparking a flood of social media criticism about lackluster choreography or low scores. (Judge Derek Hough said during the broadcast that he and Bruno Tonioli purposefully scored lower so the contestants have room to grow throughout the season.)
“These are real people, who are doing a job that literally none of you could do,” Arnold, who won the mirrorball trophy during season 25, said on Thursday. “That’s what kills me [with the] ‘my hot take, I don’t think they did this good enough.’ Let’s see you do it. You couldn’t.”
Lindsay attended Tuesday’s live show with her family in support of sister Rylee Arnold, who is competing with singer Scott Hoying. Lindsay condemned fans for spreading hate instead of cheering on the cast.
“If you have time in your day to make videos, spread hate or leave comments and actively seek out trashing people, then you’re obviously not working hard enough on yourself,” Lindsay said. “Maybe you need to rethink what’s most important in your life.”
Lindsay noted that there are “so many people” she cares about who are involved with DWTS, so seeing spiteful comments “makes [her] sick.”
“Obviously, my sister Rylee, I would go to bat for her ‘till the day I die,” she added. “But I care about all those people. That’s my family [and those are] my friends. I’m coming here to say that the job of being a pro is one of the hardest ever. All of you thinking you have any idea what it takes to be a pro makes me want to laugh.”
Lindsay did acknowledge that “it’s OK” for fans to root for their favorite pros, but it’s not alright to “actively seek out” ways of “bashing and trashing” anyone.
“Be better,” she concluded. “Please don’t make me do another video like this defending all of my friends on a show that you guys are obsessed with. So, maybe spread a little more positivity about the show that is obviously taking up so much of your life.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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