Ezra Sosa has come to the defense of his Dancing With the Stars season 34 partner, Jordan Chiles, amid social media speculation that she is a “mean girl.”
Sosa, 24, took to Instagram on Friday, October 10, to dispel those rumors, debunking examples that fans gave and saying they “couldn’t be further from the truth.” He started with a moment where it appeared Chiles, also 24, appeared to walk off stage.
“They told Jordan that she needed to move immediately after scores because then they needed to announce [the] tour,” he explained. “Personally, I don’t think that was a good time to do it because when you look back at it, she’s gonna take direction and she’s gonna leave the shot.”
The other example was a joke that he said only demonstrated the familial dynamic between the two.
“The second one is how I picked her up during elimination and she jokingly said, ‘OK, you can put me down now,’” he said. “For those of you who do not know Jordan and I, and our dynamic, it is very much like a brother and sister. When that moment happened, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was hysterical.”
Sosa and Chiles have gotten through the first four eliminations of the season unscathed, most recently quickstepping through Disney Week with a score of 24. This is Sosa’s second season participating as a pro after he and convicted con artist Anna Delvey were eliminated second in season 33.
“You can talk your negative stuff about me, and I can handle it like a champ,” Sosa continued. “But when it comes to my partner, I’m gonna feel a certain way about it. Honestly, the thing that hurts me the most is knowing the person that she is and knowing the time that we have together, it just breaks my heart because that’s not my experience with her at all.”
He added, “She is truly a remarkable person, and I am so, so grateful that she came into my life. We’re allowed to be our own individual selves, and sometimes our dynamic may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is certainly mine and we’re on this journey together. And it is so special, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that it is reflected as such.”
Sosa also had support from his castmates — and onstage rivals — in the comments.
“Haters are always gonna find something to hate,” wrote Elaine Hendrix, who is partnered with Alan Bersten this season. “You two are incredible. And Jordan is amazing. She’s also fierce! No apologies needed for that. Love you both. 😍.”
Mark Ballas, the pro partnered with Whitney Leavitt, added, “Well said buddy. Proud of you both. Keep killing it 🫶🏼👊🏼.”
Xochitl Gomez, who won season 32 alongside Val Chmerkovskiy, wrote, “Love watching you two on the show! You’re killing it 🔥❤️.”
“Honestly, she should [have hesitation] sometimes, but I think that’s one of the greatest things about her is how fearless she is,” he told Us. “That’s how someone like her is where she’s at.”
