Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro alum Natalie Jolley is addressing her controversial elimination following an accidental injury caused by fellow contestant Stephani Sosa.
“First, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the love and support I’ve been receiving. It means the absolute world to me. 😭❤️,” Natalie, 20, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, July 29. “Being part of @dancingwiththestars The Next Pro has been one of the biggest honors of my life, and although my time on the show ended unexpectedly, I’m walking away with so much gratitude for this opportunity.”
Natalie unexpectedly exited the competition during the Monday, July 27, episode after Stephani, 26, accidentally struck her in the face during a dance rehearsal. An ambulance was called after the Utah native said she was feeling dizzy and experiencing difficulty breathing. She sat out of the episode’s remaining rehearsals and performances. Later, judge Shirley Ballas revealed that Natalie was heading home because she wasn’t “medically cleared” to continue competing.
“I suffered a black eye and a concussion in an accident,” Natalie wrote of the incident on Wednesday. “I did everything in my power to stay in the competition, but the medical team determined that my injuries would prevent me from continuing.”
She continued, “This was my first experience dancing on commercial television, and while I was definitely intimidated at first, I found my confidence as the days went on. If there’s one thing this experience has taught me, it’s to do the scary thing. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and watch yourself grow!”
Natalie added that she was “grateful” for her time living with her fellow cast members and dancing on stage.
“I truly believe everything happens for a reason, even when it’s hard to understand in the moment,” she concluded. “I’m choosing to trust the process, keep moving forward, and believe that what’s meant for me will always find me. I know this is only the beginning as I continue to learn, grow, and come back even stronger!!”
Natalie also took to TikTok to clap back at critics who claimed she was exaggerating her injury.
“Never thought I would need to prove to the internet that I did indeed get smacked hard enough to get a black eye and concussion (first and last photo shows how much I could open my eye for a couple hours after the incident),” she wrote on Wednesday alongside photos of her red and swollen eye. “And for those saying it didn’t look bad from the show, they covered it up with makeup! Please be kind and respectful, especially when you don’t know the full story behind the scenes…”
After the accident, Stephani — the sister of DWTS pro Ezra Sosa — admitted during the episode that she felt “so horrible.”
“I don’t know what happened. The dance was moving so fast. … I just hate being the one that caused that,” she said. “I know she’s worked really hard to be here, and I hope she’s OK.”
Meanwhile, Ezra, 25, jumped to his sister’s defense amid backlash over the decision to eliminate Natalie instead of Stephani.
“My sister apologized to Natalie [and] they didn’t air it,” he commented on a TikTok video showcasing the incident. “Also this happens all the time when you are rehearsing.”
