Auditioning for Juilliard was probably less stressful for Julia Stiles than competing on Dancing With The Stars. The actress performed a much-imitated dance routine in 2001’s Save the Last Dance when her character auditioned for the famous New York City school. Most of the routine was performed by a body double. But on DWTS, Julia Stiles performs every single step herself. Unfortunately, recent harsh criticism from the judges left her in tears. Stay on this page to see how host Julianne Hough reacted to making the beloved actress cry.
DWTS Julia Stiles Brought To Tears By Harsh Criticism
Julia Stiles brought many moviegoers to tears during her emotional performance in 10 Things I Hate About You. But she was the one left in tears after performing on Dancing With The Stars. The beloved ’90s actress is paired with Ezra Sosa for Season 35. They have some tough competition, including Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr.
Julia Stiles joined Dancing With The Stars to prove her haters wrong. Bravo host Andy Cohen previously called her out for what he thought was a terrible performance in Save the Last Dance. While the actress is used to being on camera, the ABC dance competition was outside of her comfort zone.
Julia Stiles made her DWTS debut by performing a Quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” She received praise from the judges for her energy and overall performance. The dance got a score of 18 out of 30, which was enough to push her through to Week 2.
Ezra Sosa and the actress performed a Tango to Teddy Swims’ “The Door.” While she received a good score of 16 out of 30, the judges were harsher with their feedback. They pointed out that Julia Stiles had stumbled during the routine and was rigid. She later broke down in tears over the harsh comments.
“I’m not feeling great because the crazy thing about this show, which I knew going into it is that you can have great run-throughs, you can have great rehearsals, but really, all that matters is what ends up on television,” she told E! News before confessing to a “big old cry fest” in her trailer.
Julianne Hough Reacts To Making Contestant Cry
Julia Stiles candidly admitting to breaking down in tears endeared fans to her even more. It’s rare that contestants are that vulnerable about their feelings. DWTS fans took to the comments on the news outlet’s post to share their support for the actress.
- “They deserved better scores”
- “Julia did amazing. Didn’t deserve the criticism”
- “I feel like she puts a lot of pressure on herself, but I thought she did great!”
- “We are cheering you on. Give yourself grace as ballroom dancing is not easy.”
- “She has room to grow for sure and I hope she stays on to see her progress!!!”
- “We love You Julia The Judges Suck you Did Amazing”
But what really caught attention was Julianne Hough’s response to her brother and judge, Derek Hough, making Julia Stiles cry. “You are divine ❤️,” the host wrote.
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa fought off elimination and return to the dance floor for Week 3. The theme is “Yacht Rock Night” and they’re reportedly performing a Salsa to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. We can’t wait to see it!
Dancing With The Stars airs live on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays at 8 PM Eastern.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger