Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro judge Shirley Ballas is weighing in on Rylee Arnold and AJ Pritchard’s off-the-floor drama.
In the comments of her latest Instagram post promoting the upcoming Next Pro season finale, Shirley, 65, was asked for her “opinion” after AJ’s fiancée, Zara Zoffany, openly criticized Rylee, 21, for calling out his alleged behavior during rehearsals.
“@ryleearnold1 has earned her place on DWTS through hard work,” Shirley, fellow pro Mark Ballas’ mom, replied via Instagram comment. “Dedicating her time to all styles.”
She continued, “I have a lot of respect for her. Shame others do not. 🔥🔥🔥.”
Rylee, who was named a pro beginning in 2023’s season 32, made a cameo on the Next Pro semifinals for a routine with competitor AJ, 31. In post-rehearsal footage with Shirley, Mark, 40, and guest judge Kym Johnson, Rylee admitted that AJ appeared overly critical without providing any positive feedback.
In response, Zara, 32, slammed Rylee via social media.
“[Rylee] — @aj11ace wouldn’t have had to critique you in the first place if everything had been right. Dancing with Bailey [McKnight] last week showed how he danced with an amateur & their dance was amazing,” Zara alleged, referring to AJ’s Next Pro dance with a newbie dancer. “This week was suppose [sic] to be dancing with a pro … 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 at the time, “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.”
Neither Rylee nor AJ, who previously served as pro dancer on the U.K.’s Strictly Come Dancing, have publicly addressed the social media drama. Rylee’s best friend and fellow pro, Ezra Sosa, meanwhile, has clapped back at Zara’s apparent diss in defense of his colleague.
“I usually stay out of stuff like this, but this genuinely made me sick to my stomach,” Ezra, 25, replied via Instagram comment. “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.”
While Ezra acknowledged that “everyone gets critiqued” in the dance world, Rylee is “one of the most honest and trustworthy” people he knows.
“She reads people and their energy incredibly well, and she is a fanatic pro and [an] INCREDIBLE DANCER,” he added in his statement. “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.”
AJ is among the finalists to become the next DWTS pro for the upcoming season 35 alongside Selena Hamilton and Adele Zaikman.
The Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro finale airs on ABC Monday, August 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
