Kaitlyn Bristowe may not get Carrie Ann Inaba’s final rose, but the former Bachelorette’s boyfriend, Jason Tartick, had her back after she received low scores on the Monday, October 26, episode of Dancing With the Stars.
“The Carrie Ann questions are coming in hot. So here’s what I’m going to say. Is she tough on Kaitlyn? She is,” Tartick, 32, began via Instagram Stories on Monday. “Is the feedback she gives Kaitlyn unbelievable that Kaitlyn can take that feedback and go to the studio and become a better dance? Yes. Was tonight a 7? I don’t think so.”
Bristowe and dance partner Artem Chigvintsev received their mixed feedback after Inaba gave them a 7 for their 101 Dalmatians-themed paso doble. Their overall score of 24 out of 30 landed them second to last on the leaderboard, but they escaped the bottom two with the help of fan votes. (Cheer‘s Monica Aldama was eliminated.) Tartick, for his part, said that scoring on the competition series was “questionable” after Monday’s episode.
“This is by far, probably, rock bottom if you look at every single week [for her],” Tartick said on Monday. “And when you’re at rock bottom, that’s when people hit their next stride. You have to relish it, you have to remember that feeling of being on stage and hearing that feedback and take that every day to your practice and become better and next Monday just crush it. And that’s why rock bottom can be a launchpad.”
Tartick went on to reveal that Bristowe texted him that she’s “so sad” after the episode.
“Of course, she’s bummed out,” he said, noting he goes “back and forth” with how to handle the show. “Part of me is like, ‘You know, what it’s a show. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, so just enjoy the ride.’ But then another part of me sees that she puts everything into this, everything. So I’m, like, so torn. But she’ll battle back, I’m confident. Next week, she’s got this.”
In the comments section of his recent Instagram post, the Bachelorette season 14 alum agreed with Brandi Cyrus who wrote that the judges panel, which also includes Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, are “sooooo hard” on Bristowe.
Tartick replied, “You’re not kidding!! She’ll keep fighting #letsgooooo.”
Bristowe, meanwhile, watched back the performance with Tartick after she got home on Monday night.
“I’m finished with my little pity party,” she said via Instagram Stories, admitting she cried after the performance. “I felt very bummed out after tonight because of the amount of work we all put into every dance, not just me, every dancer in the competition. … It’s not in me to give up, so it was really hard to hear the feedback, some good, some bad.”
While watching with a glass of wine in hand, the reality TV personality was “proud” of herself. “This makes me feel better,” she said. “Wow.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
