DWTS Pro Artem Chigvintsev Forced to Sit Out Week 2, Will Not Dance

ABC Artem Chigvintsev won't be dancing on week two.

A “Dancing With the Stars” pro has confirmed that he will not be dancing on week two.

Just before the October 3, 2023, show, some people noticed that Artem Chigvintsev hadn’t posted anything about DWTS on social media and that he had been mostly absent from Instagram, not posting on his feed for six days. This led many people to think that something is going on with Chigvintsev — perhaps he suffered an injury during rehearsals or he has something personal going on at home.

Around 11:30 a.m. EST on October 3, 2023, Chigvintsev took to social media to confirm that he won’t be dancing with Lawson this week because he’s been diagnosed with Covid.

“So sad announce but here it comes. I will not be performing with @charitylawson tonight on @dancingwiththestars due to Covid ( Covid sucks ). But on a good news @charitylawson is still dancing tonight with amazing @ezra.sosa they had a tough week Ezra stepped in like a champ and they have been working really hard this last couple of days so please give them all the love and support you can,” he captioned his Instagram post.

Here’s what you need to know:

Charity Lawson Will Dance With Ezra Sosa

On October 1, 2023, photos of Lawson with former troupe member Ezra Sosa popped up online, leading many fans to believe that he’d be stepping in for Chigvintsev. A screenshot was shared on Reddit where fans wondered what might be going on.

“Not gonna lie I’m kinda concerned. Nikki dropped Matteo off Friday to stay with him while she goes to Italy with Brie. Artem has been absent from SM and pics since laste last week. Nikki left for Italy Saturday,” one person wrote on a Reddit thread.

“Maybe he is injured?? They seemed to be going crazy strong with rehearsals,” someone else wondered.

“I didn’t see him in any of the pro rehearsal number videos either tho and idk, Artem don’t seem like the type to take off 2 days before show day,” a third Redditor pointed out.

Chigvintsev has confirmed that Lawson and Sosa will be dancing together on week two.

Artem Chigvintsev & Charity Lawson Had Been Posting on Social Media Regularly Ahead of Week 1

Chigvintsev and Lawson were both very active on social media ahead of the “Dancing With the Stars” premiere.

After landing on top of the leaderboard following their tango, all eyes were on Chigvintsev and Lawson as potential frontrunners for the new season. The duo scored a 22 out of 30, earning the first and only “8” from judge Bruno Tonioli.

“Want to say Thank You all for voting for @charitylawson and I. What a night! So great to be back in the @dancingwiththestars ballroom. Let’s go Week 2! #teamchachacharity #dwts,” Chigvintsev captioned an Instagram post on September 27, 2023, one day after the premiere aired on ABC. This is the last thing that he’s posted on his feed about the show.

Throughout the week, the two haven’t posted much, if at all. And, they were nearly radio silent during camera blocking on October 2, 2023. The only other person who appeared absent from camera blocking was season 32 contestant Mira Sorvino.

The Oscar-winning actress spent the week in Cabo for her birthday, but it’s unclear if she’s back in The States. Her partner, Gleb Savchenko, was at the pre-show rehearsal.

Just about everyone else on the season 32 cast has posted about week two in one form or another — and now we know why.

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