Rylee Arnold became unfairly entangled in a feud involving AJ Pritchard when she guested on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. AJ, who was a pro partner on Strictly Come Dancing for several seasons, is one of the final three contestants competing to be the next pro on Dancing with the Stars.
When Rylee and three other DWTS pros guested in the spinoff for the semi-finals, they were each paired with a competitor. Each contestant was tasked with choreographing and teaching the routine to the established pro. AJ and Rylee danced a cheeky, feel-good cha-cha, which guaranteed AJ a spot in the finale. And when the judges asked the DWTS pros for feedback, Rylee gave her honest opinion about AJ.
Rylee Arnold gave honest feedback about AJ Pritchard, but his fiancée lashed out
“I don’t know if he’s going to be able to give affirmation to somebody,” Rylee told judges Shirley Ballas, Mark Ballas, and DWTS alum Kym Johnson. “It was just constant critique.”
In her Instagram Story, AJ’s fiancée, Zara Zoffany, unloaded on Rylee. “[Rylee] – @aj11ace wouldn’t have had to critique you in the first place if everything had been right. Very different dynamics & what people didn’t see in rehearsals was that you injured him when you hit him in the head, leaving with a slight concussion and needing to see a [doctor].”
She added, “He wouldn’t have needed to give it if something hadn’t been wrong. I hope you were able to take something positive and useful from his teaching and feedback.” Again, Rylee only gave her honest opinion, as did all the other guest pros.
In addition, Shirley didn’t agree with Zara’s comments. She answered a question about the backlash via an Instagram comment.
“@ryleearnold1 has earned her place on DWTS through hard work,” Shirley wrote. “Dedicating her time to all styles. I have a lot of respect for her. Shame others do not.”
In addition, Rylee’s bestie and fellow DWTS pro, Ezra Sosa, also spoke out via social media. “I usually stay out of stuff like this, but this genuinely made me sick to my stomach. She reads people and their energy incredibly well, and she is a [fanatic] pro and [an] INCREDIBLE DANCER,” Ezra commented. “Watching a woman go out of her way to publicly question another woman’s qualifications and tear her down like this is so sad to see.”
Plus, Jan Ravnik, one of Rylee’s ballroom co-stars, shared his feelings via Reddit. He also guested on the same DWTS: The Next Pro episode as Rylee. “@zarazoffany ‘injured him?’ God bless!!” he commented.
It is discouraging to see Rylee torn down for doing her job on the ballroom spinoff. AJ postponed his wedding to Zara for the chance to land a spot as a Season 35 DWTS pro. So, Zara slamming Rylee on social media seems misguided. How about thanking Rylee for helping AJ make the finale?
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro is streaming on Hulu.
