“Dancing With the Stars” pros Ezra Sosa and Rylee Arnold have been incredibly close friends for quite some time. Over the past few years, fans have loved watching them engage in backstage antics on DWTS and making TikToks together.
However, their friendship goes much deeper than that.
Amid ongoing drama stemming from Rylee’s appearance on “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,” Ezra bravely stepped in to defend her.
Rylee Arnold & AJ Pritchard Experienced Tension on ‘The Next Pro’
During the August 24 episode of “The Next Pro,” the final four were partnered with current DWTS pros for their next challenge. AJ Pritchard, 31, teamed up with Rylee Arnold, 21, but it seems that they completely clashed in rehearsals.
While speaking with the other pros, Rylee expressed concern that AJ was too critical. She worried that he wouldn’t be gentle enough with a celebrity partner if he was cast on the show.
AJ Pritchard’s fiancee, Zara Zoffany, sprang into action to defend him. In an Instagram comment, Zoffany brought up how well Pritchard performed with social media influencer Bailey McKnight during the amateur challenge.
Zoffany alleged that Pritchard sustained a concussion during rehearsals with Rylee Arnold, which never aired on the show.
“He wouldn’t have needed to give [criticism] if something hadn’t been wrong,” Zoffany wrote. “I hope you were able to take something positive and useful from his teaching and feedback.”
So far, AJ Pritchard and Rylee Arnold have kept silent. However, “Dancing With the Stars” pro Ezra Sosa recently weighed in, defending Rylee’s professional abilities.
Ezra Sosa Praises His Dear Friend’s Abilities as a Dancer
Ezra Sosa is more than just a talented dancer and choreographer. He will also fiercely go to bat for his friends.
“I usually stay out of stuff like this, but this genuinely made me sick to my stomach,” Sosa issued a response to Zara Zoffany’s allegations. “Rylee is my best friend, I love her and I will speak up for her.”
“Rylee is more than qualified to be a pro, and one dance with a completely different partnership does not erase the years of training, talent and work that earned her that title,” he continued. “Everyone’s perspective and experience in this dance world will be different. AJ is allowed to give feedback and Rylee is allowed to be honest about how that feedback felt to her. Both can exist. Also, this is a dance competition. Everyone gets critiqued.”
“I know Rylee. She is one of the most honest and truthful people I have ever met, she reads people and their energy incredibly well, and she is a fantastic pro,” the “Dancing With the Stars” pro added. “And INCREDIBLE DANCER. Watching another woman go out of her way to question another woman’s qualifications and tear her down like this is so sad to see. You could have defended AJ without belittling Rylee. You chose not to.”
AJ Pritchard, Selena Hamilton, and Adele Zaikman compete for victory on the season finale of “The Next Pro,” airing this Monday at 8 p.m.
Ezra Sosa and Rylee Arnold return when “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 premieres at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15 on ABC.
