ABC/Eric McCandless
Each week, Dancing With the Stars judges have to judge a number of contestants, and sometimes viewers and contestants think the judging is too harsh or lenient depending on the dance and contestant.
After the Villains Week episode, though, many people, including fans, contestants, and family members of contestants, spoke out about the judging of Kaitlyn Bristowe, saying that they believed Carrie Ann Inaba was too harsh on her.
One of the people who spoke out about the drama was Bristowe’s boyfriend, Jason Tartick. He called out Inaba, saying that the overall score was too harsh.
“It felt like at moments you gave up,” Carrie Ann said to Kaitlyn and Artem after their dance. “You had a moment of chaos there and I saw it in your eyes, and I felt like your spirit dropped. I don’t want to discourage you because I do think you are a fantastic dancer but this was another not-great dance of yours and I apologize.”
Tartick Said Inaba Was Too Harsh on Bristowe
Jason Tartick opened up on his Instagram stories about his girlfriend’s scores after his followers started asking him how he felt about the outcome.
“The Carrie Ann questions are coming in hot,” he said at the time. “So here’s what I’m going to say. Is she tough on Kaitlyn? She is. Is the feedback she gives Kaitlyn unbelievable that Kaitlyn can take that feedback and go to the studio and become a better dancer? Yes. Was tonight a 7? I don’t think so.”
Bristowe’s partner, Artem Chigvintsev, also spoke to Entertainment Tonight following the episode, as he was upset about the scores as well.
“My thought, No. 1 is, does content of the dance not count anymore?” he said, referring to the fact that the routine included advanced choreography. “Because it’s weird to me when we supposedly have to pursue a certain type of dance.”
Bristowe Bonded With a Former Bachelorette After the Tough Comments
Hannah Brown took home the Mirrorball Trophy from Dancing With the Stars in season 28, but she still faced criticism that was hard on her, she told Bristowe while appearing as a guest on her “Off the Vine” podcast.
“I was such a crazy pants,” Brown said at the time. “I was crying all the time. I thought the judges were so mean to me. I did believe they were the hardest to me. I took it all so personal, I felt so hurt.”
The season 28 winner of the show said that she believed Inaba’s comments were often the most harsh and hurtful to her.
“She’s a woman, so she’s very intuitive, I think, of what my emotions were, and she was right a lot of the time,” Brown said. “I was like, ‘You can’t be right! Do not point out what’s happening on national television right now, because I’m going to burst into tears, and I am trying to keep it together.’ That was a lot of it.”
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