Kim Zolciak and Tony Dovolani are fighting for their right to party, err, dance after the Don’t Be Tardy star was forced out of Dancing with the Stars this week. After suffering a mini stroke, Kim wasn’t medically cleared to fly to L.A. for the live show, and the rules state: no show, no dance. Cut and dry… or was the decision personal?
Kim took to Instagram to ask fans to sign a petition to bring Kim and Tony back on the show. “I was cleared to dance on Friday when I was discharged from the hospital, so Saturday morning I was up rehearsing not even 12 hours after,” added Kim. “I had no restrictions BUT flying until today. Yes the timing sucked but ultimately my health is first. I wanted to dance here in ATL via satellite. I could dance just not fly. I’m forever grateful for my dance partner Tony who has always supported me and all of my amazing fans!!! Regardless I will be dancing my ass off at the finale!”
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The last time I looked, the petition had over 21,000 signatures.
Rehearsal footage has been shown and judged when a contestant wasn’t able to dance live; however, Kim only rehearsed in Atlanta. “She got discharged on Friday and we danced on Saturday,” said Tony. “We did the whole dance and I have video to prove it.”
At the end of the day, The Powers That Be said no to rehearsal footage outside of the ballroom, no to dancing live via satellite, and according to Kim on Twitter, no to Brielle filling in for Kim this week.
Tony confirmed he and Kim were blindsided (live on the show) by the decision. “We didn’t know until Tom [Bergeron] announced it,” he shared. “I didn’t know, but when Tom hugged me, I knew right away.”
“I think that the producers were fighting until the last minute to keep us in the competition,” added Tony. “I want to continue so bad it’s not even funny. That’s why I put a tweet out there saying ‘Bring us back!’ The producers want us back, I want to be back, and Kim wants to be back… so the only people they needed to convince was the lawyers.”
While Tony‘s under the impression that the Dancing with the Stars producers fought to keep them on the show, an inside source told Page Six a different story. According to the insider, Kim agreed to do the show last season, but she backed out just TWO days before the cast reveal. The inside source went on to suggest that the producers purposely blindsided Kim on live TV as payback.
I understand why The Powers That Be wouldn’t accept rehearsal footage from outside of the ballroom (what people can do with computer generated images these days is insane), but I don’t see why Tony and Kim couldn’t have danced live via satellite. It’s not ideal, but I mean, it’s not like Kim was a huge threat in the competition. 😉
TELL US – DID YOU SIGN THE PETITION? DO YOU THINK IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE? DO YOU BELIEVE KIM WAS CUT AS A PAYBACK?
Photo Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin
