Julia Stiles took the Dancing With the Stars ballroom floor despite a painful injury, and partner Ezra Sosa wanted viewers to know the cost. After judges gave them 26 out of 40 points on Horror Movie Night, Sosa praised Stiles for pushing through a difficult week.
The 25-year-old pro said Stiles lost two rehearsal days, forcing them to rebuild almost the entire routine. They changed the opening the day before their performance, making it one of their toughest weeks of the season.
Julia Stiles pushed through a painful injury before her Halloween-themed DWTS dance
Sosa addressed Stiles in an Instagram post Thursday, October 29. “This one is for you, Julia. ❤️,” he wrote. He hoped she felt proud of her work, adding, “I don’t think people will ever fully understand what it took just to get you onto that ballroom floor.”
Sosa called Stiles a “firecracker” who kept pushing despite the pain. “Even through the pain, all she wanted to do was keep going. I was literally the one having to tell her to STOP and rest. That’s just who she is. She gives everything she has,” he wrote.
The pair opened Tuesday, October 27’s Halloween episode with an Argentine tango based on The Omen. Rehearsal footage captured tension, as Stiles told Sosa she didn’t “respond well to frustration.” She later jokingly called him “a cranky b***h,” but they worked through the disagreement.
The judges remained unimpressed. Carrie Ann Inaba said Stiles looked “stiff,” while Derek Hough called the routine “timid.” Guest judge Shirley Ballas gave them a four, contributing to their 26-point total.
Still, Sosa said scores didn’t define his respect for Stiles. “I don’t love and respect you because of our scores or how perfectly a routine goes. I love and respect you because of who you are when things DON’T go perfectly,” he wrote.
Stiles and Sosa avoided the double elimination. Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess, along with Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, went home before Disney Night. Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
