Heavy/Disney "Dancing With the Stars"dancers perform a tribute to Len Goodman.
The fiancé of “Dancing With the Stars” veteran Sharna Burgess came to her defense after producers failed to invite her to participate in a ballroom tribute to Len Goodman.
On October 24, 2023, the ballroom paid tribute to the late DWTS head judge six months after his death. Midway through DWTS’ Most Memorable Year Night, the ABC celebrity ballroom competition paused for the emotional tribute. Set to the song “Moon River,” the tribute featured a traditional waltz choreographed by pro dancers Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson.
In addition to the season 32 pro dancers, returning pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, Edyta Śliwińska, Karina Smirnoff, Anna Trebunskaya, Louis van Amstel, and Mark Ballas performed in the tribute.
But Burgess, longtime dancer on the show, did not appear in the ballroom. Burgess competed in 14 seasons of DWTS and won the mirrorball trophy with Bobby Bones in season 27.
The following day, Burgess’s fiancé, actor Brian Austin Green, posted an angry retort on Instagram. And while some fans did support his stance, many others slammed him for missing the point of the tribute dance.
Here’s what you need to know:
Fans Slammed Brian Austin Green For Missing the Point of the Tribute
In his Instagram post, Green expressed disappointment over Burgess not being invited back for the tribute in any capacity – not even as a viewer. The actor defended his fiancee and said she “deserved better.” “None of her ‘family in the ballroom’ stuck up for her or spoke out,” Green wrote. “She wasn’t even invited to sit in the stands and watch. Shame on that group of people,” he captioned the post.
While many agreed that Burgess should have been included in the tribute, some fans felt Green was off the mark with his public post.
“Sorry – I’m confused – was this a tribute to this man’s life or a display of some DWTS cliche? Whining about not being invited on a show is not the classiest way to honor someone. It’s just not a good look,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
“I don’t think it’s about who was not asked to be back! Only so many dancers fit on the stage and were needed!” another wrote. “I think it’s sad to post this what are you 5! This sounds like a 2010 Facebook post! I didn’t get invited to a birthday party! “
“This is about Len, not about Cheryl or Sharna. And to be fair, Sharna isn’t an OG. Stop creating drama over something that was meant to be beautiful,” another wrote to Green.
Another commenter criticized Green for calling out the other pro dancers for not sticking up for Burgess. “There is no proof that they didn’t. Producers should be blamed not the others who were included,” the fan wrote.
And another asked Green why Burgess didn’t just show up anyway. “It’s a show on a lot. You can’t just show up. That’s not how it works,” Green replied.
Sharna Burgess Responded to Brian Austin Green’s Post
Following her fiancé’s post, Burgess offered an explanation on her Instagram story.
“My man has seen me be super upset (again) about the show I love,” she wrote. “Last night was hard and he listened to me while I shared my heart.”
Burgess revealed that she initially stayed silent about her hurt feelings because she knew the tribute should be about Goodman and not about her.
“But, my man that loves me deeply and has listened to me share and cry had enough and shared his frustration,” the Australian pro dancer wrote. “He, like me, just didn’t understand why.”
“I love him for wanting to defend me even though he didn’t need to,” Burgess wrote of Green. “I would do the same. No doubt we fight hardest for those we love when we tend to just take whatever is thrown at us in our own life.”
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