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Dancing With the Stars contestant Jackson Olson faced criticism after a since-deleted comment appeared to mock Guillermo Rodriguez’s dancing. Olson apologized on Oct. 6, said he and Rodriguez had spoken in person and were fine, then joked about being “canceled” in an Oct. 11 TikTok.
Dancing With the Stars contestant Jackson Olson joked about being “canceled” in an Oct. 11 TikTok, days after a comment about fellow contestant Guillermo Rodriguez’s dancing drew criticism. Olson had apologized on Oct. 6 and said he and Rodriguez had spoken in person and cleared the air.
Olson’s TikTok showed his professional dance partner, Emma Slater, leaving a rehearsal studio with her boyfriend and fellow professional dancer, Alan Bersten. The pair mouthed along to “Gotta Go My Own Way” from High School Musical 2. Olson captioned the clip, “When your dance partner has to leave you for her boyfriend.”
In the same caption, Olson linked the moment to two other setbacks: “First I get canceled, then we lose the Banana Bowl and now this?!” His Savannah Bananas baseball team had lost to the Texas Tailgailers in the inaugural Banana Bowl championship on Oct. 11, according to the account of the post. The joking reference followed criticism over a comment Olson had made about Rodriguez’s dance performance.
According to Cosmopolitan, Olson wrote in a since-deleted comment beneath a video of another athlete recreating a dance by Rodriguez and his partner, Witney Carson: “Seriously how did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” The comment prompted negative reactions, though the available reporting does not specify how many people criticized it or provide a detailed account of those responses.
How Olson Responded to the Backlash
The episode has drawn attention to how contestants’ comments about one another can be interpreted beyond the rehearsal room, particularly when they circulate on social media. Olson’s remark compared another athlete’s version of a dance favorably with Rodriguez’s, and critics viewed it as a dig at Rodriguez’s ability. The wording and reaction matter here: the documented comment was about a dance, while claims about Olson’s intent should not be treated as established fact.
Olson’s response has two parts: a public apology and his account that he spoke directly with Rodriguez. That account suggests the two contestants addressed the issue privately, but it does not erase the public reaction or establish how every viewer received the apology. His later use of “canceled” was framed as a joke in a TikTok caption, not a formal statement about his standing on the show.
For viewers, the dispute is a small but visible part of the season’s wider interest in contestant relationships as well as performances. The immediate question is whether the controversy will continue to affect how audiences discuss Olson and Rodriguez; the available reporting does not establish any change to their participation or the show’s plans.
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The Comment Behind the Dispute
Olson, a Savannah Bananas baseball player, is competing on Dancing With the Stars with Slater. Rodriguez, known for his appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is also competing, paired with Carson. The two men are castmates, and Olson said they had been friendly during the competition.
The comment surfaced beneath a video showing another athlete recreating a dance performed by Rodriguez and Carson. Olson later said he had not intended to cause negativity and took responsibility for the comment. The chronology is clear in the reported statements: the apology and account of a face-to-face conversation came on Oct. 6; the TikTok joke about being “canceled” followed on Oct. 11.
Olson’s apology and his comments about the conversation were reported by E! News. The description of the deleted comment was attributed to Cosmopolitan. Those accounts establish what Olson said publicly and what wording was reported, but they do not independently establish the private exchange beyond Olson’s account.
“To G and to all of you, I am truly sorry that my comment I made the other day caused this much unnecessary negativity. I never meant for it to do that and I take full ownership and I love this guy. Now let’s do what this show is meant to be about: DANCE.”
— Jackson Olson, in a TikTok apology on Oct. 6
What the Public Reaction Shows
The extent of the criticism is not quantified in the available reporting, and no detailed range of reactions from viewers is provided. The comment itself was deleted, so readers cannot assess its original post context directly from that comment now; its wording is reported by Cosmopolitan.
Olson said the two contestants were fine after speaking, but the private conversation has not been independently described by Rodriguez in the material available here. There is also no indication that the incident led to a change in either contestant’s status on the show. Olson’s “canceled” wording appears in a joking TikTok caption, and should not be read as confirmation of any formal consequence.
The Contestants’ Next Appearances
Olson and Rodriguez remain part of the reported Dancing With the Stars season cast, with Olson paired with Slater and Rodriguez with Carson. The supplied reporting gives no further scheduled statement from either contestant and does not announce any show action related to the comment.
For now, the next development to watch is whether either man addresses the episode again or whether it fades as the competition continues. Until then, the confirmed public record is Olson’s apology, his account of talking with Rodriguez, and the later TikTok joke—not a reported ongoing dispute between the two.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
Key Questions
What did Jackson Olson say about Guillermo Rodriguez?
According to Cosmopolitan, Olson wrote in a since-deleted comment that another athlete had performed a Rodriguez dance better “with 2 hours of rehearsal.”
Did Jackson Olson apologize?
Yes. Olson posted an apology on TikTok on Oct. 6, said he took responsibility for the comment’s negative reaction and said he had not intended to cause it.
Did Olson and Rodriguez speak after the comment?
Olson told E! News that he visited Rodriguez’s trailer and spoke with him for about 30 minutes. Olson said they were fine; the reported account of the private exchange comes from Olson.
Why did Olson mention being canceled?
In an Oct. 11 TikTok caption, Olson jokingly listed the criticism alongside his team’s reported Banana Bowl loss and Slater leaving rehearsal with her boyfriend, Alan Bersten. The caption does not report a formal consequence from the show.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
