Despite a social media campaign and a petition to return, Dancing with the Stars went on without Don’t Be Tardy star Kim Zolciak this week. Kim and her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, were forced to withdraw from the competition two weeks ago when Kim wasn’t medically cleared to fly to L.A. for the live show.
Kim has since been cleared to fly. So, she hopped on a plane and headed to New York City for an appearance on Good Morning America, where she talked about the mini stroke she suffered three weeks ago, the heart condition her doctors discovered while she was hospitalized, and the disappointment she felt over ‘the powers that be’ forcing her to withdraw from Dancing with the Stars.
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Speaking to Michael Strahan, Kim said she felt “great” following her first flight since the stroke. “I was very nervous, obviously,” she continued. “On the whole flight I was very nervous, but I feel great.”
About the mini stroke, Kim shared, “It was a blessing in disguise. The minor TIA revealed that I have a PFO, which is like a hole in your heart, that I was born with and never closed. That is what caused it, basically, because the blood clot was able to cross over through the hole.”
Kim addressed those who have alleged she faked the stroke to get out of the competition because she is allergic to physical activity wasn’t doing well. In case you missed it, one of those people was Wendy Williams.
“I think it is sick that somebody would ever think that, and some of the people that have said that, it just shows me their mentality,” said Kim. “I don’t think that many people would really fake a stroke. Especially since I love Dancing with the Stars. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life. It’s been very difficult for me to not be on the show.”
Michael read from the official DWTS rule book: “In the event that the Celebrity is disabled during training, such that they will be unable to perform in a live episode of the program, the Celebrity and their Professional will be required to withdraw from the competition.”
Taking the official rule and her particular situation into account, does Kim think the decision was fair? “No, because I was able to dance,” she insisted. “I just couldn’t fly. I was discharged from the hospital on Friday and I learned my dance on Saturday. I feel like they could’ve done something [live] via satellite – they’ve made exceptions in the past for people that couldn’t dance at the actual show – or they could have used the tape I did on Saturday.”
Kim went on to say that she asked for an explanation, beyond what we saw on the show, but she never got one. No hard feelings, though, “I love everybody. The producers, the casting directors, they all kind of fought for me. In the end, it was the lawyers that made the final decision.”
Kim confirmed that she’s been invited to participate in the Dancing with the Stars finale. “I’m not sure what they’re going to have me doing,” she said, “but I don’t care. I’m just so excited to be there.”
I do believe Kim and Tony should have been able to dance in Atlanta, live on satellite, the week she couldn’t fly. But, once she was out, she needed to stay out. It wouldn’t have been fair for her to take a week off, essentially, and then return to the competition. That decision makes perfect sense to me. What does not make sense is, a mother of six flying to New York City just three weeks after suffering a stroke for an interview that could have been done via satellite. Why, Kim? Why?
TELL US – DID YOU MISS KIM ON DWTS THIS WEEK? THOUGHTS ON HER GOOD MORNING AMERICA INTERVIEW?
Photo Credit: Fred Lee/ABC
