Ezra Sosa is speaking up for his “Dancing with the Stars” partner, Jordan Chiles.
“I have seen things circulating online, about my partner, claiming that she is a ‘mean girl’ claiming that I’m not having a good time with her,” Sosa said in an Instagram video, which he said he “needed to make.”
“Honestly, it couldn’t be further from the truth,” he continued.
Sosa then addressed two moments from the Oct. 7 episode, whose theme was “Disney Night,” that people seemed to be focusing on.
One moment came right after their performance. After speaking to Sosa and Chiles about their scores, host Julianne Hough then transitioned into a “big announcement” for fans: the announcement of the “Dancing with the Stars” Tour. Chiles abruptly turned and walked away.
Jordan Chiles does it all and still makes time to catch up on her favorite shows. The Olympic gymnast chatted with Access Hollywood’s Zuri Hall on the red carpet ahead of the 2025 ESPY Awards.
Sosa said she was simply following instructions.
“They told Jordan we had to move immediately after they announced our scores because then they were going to announce the tour. Personally I don’t think that’s a good time to do it, because when you look back on it, she’s going to take direction and leave the shot.”
Chiles addressed the situation similarly in a now-expired Instagram story, which continues to circulate on TikTok.
“I think it’s crazy how people can make a situation so big and out or proportion when all I was doing was following the rules,” Chiles wrote on her story.
The second moment Sosa addressed came after Sosa and Chiles made it to the next round. He lifted her up and, after a beat, she said, “OK, you can put me down now.”
“For those of you who don’t know Jordan and my dynamic, it is very much brother and sister. When that moment happened, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was hysterical,” Sosa said.
He then spoke about the tenor of the comments, which were getting “worse and worse and worse.”
“You can talk your negative stuff about me and I can handle it like a champ but when it comes to my partner, I’m going to feel a certain way about it,” he said. “Honestly the thing that hurts me the most is knowing the person that she is and knowing the time that we have together.”
Sosa appeared to tear up as he called her a “remarkable person” and said he is “so grateful” she came into his life.
Sosa ended his video with food for thought for fans.
“We’re allowed to be our own individual selves. Sometimes our dynamic may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is certainly mine,” Sosa said.
Elaine Hendrix, who is competing on the season, shared her support in the comments. “Haters are always gonna find something to hate. You two are incredible. And Jordan is amazing. She’s also fierce! No apologies needed for that. Love you both,” she wrote.
