As “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” comes to an end, Shirley Ballas is fondly looking back on her time filming the popular spin-off.
But as fans eagerly anticipate the season finale, there has been plenty of online discourse. AJ Pritchard and Rylee Arnold seemed to clash during rehearsals and the drama has found its way online. Pritchard’s fiancee, Zara Zoffany, directed plenty of harsh criticisms at Arnold in a scathing Instagram comment.
Now, Shirley Ballas is weighing in on the situation.
Shirley Ballas Has ‘A Lot of Respect’ For Rylee Arnold
There is one episode left in “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.” As Mark and Shirley Ballas prepare to say goodbye, they’re reflecting on the time they spent on the spin-off.
“It’s been a true honour. Thank you @dancingwiththestars 🥹🤍 … see you on Monday for the finale 🫶🏼 x,” Shirley Ballas captioned a new Instagram video.
In the comments, many fans remarked on Shirley’s stunning abilities as a judge. Several wrote that they’d love to see her become a permanent addition to “Dancing With the Stars.”
However, a few fans asked the “Strictly” judge to weigh in on the ongoing drama involving “The Next Pro” contestant AJ Pritchard and DWTS pro Rylee Arnold.
After last Monday’s episode, AJ Pritchard’s fiancee, Zara Zoffany, alleged that Rylee gave him a concussion during rehearsals and the editors conveniently omitted it from the final cut. Zoffany left many harsh words for the 21-year-old, which many fans took issue with.
“What’s your opinions on [AJ’s fiancee] saying Rylee is not a qualified dancer based on her critique she gave during the show?” a fan asked in the comments.
“@ryleearnold1 has earned her place on DWTS through hard work,” Shirley Ballas readily replied. “Dedicating her time to all styles. I have a lot of respect for her. Shame others do not.”
Ezra Sosa Also Stepped in to Defend Rylee Arnold
While Rylee Arnold is likely receiving tremendous support behind the scenes, few pros have publicly spoken up about the issue. Her best friend and colleague, Ezra Sosa, bravely stepped up to defend Rylee against Zara Zoffany’s criticism.
“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,” the 25-year-old replied to Zoffany’s comments.
“Everyone’s perspective and experience in this dance world will be different,” Sosa continued. “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.”
The dancer concluded his response by pointing out how disappointing it was to see a woman tear another talented woman down.
“You could have defended AJ without belittling Rylee. You chose not to,” he wrote.
The season finale of “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” airs at 8 p.m. on Monday, August 31, on ABC. The DWTS season 35 premiere kicks off at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, with a special second episode the following night.
