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Jackson Olson’s joke about Guillermo Rodriguez’s dancing drew attention after it appeared under a video of Rodriguez performing with Witney Carson. Olson apologized publicly and said he and Rodriguez spoke in person and were fine; Olson later joked about being “canceled” in a TikTok about a separate run of disappointments.
Dancing With the Stars contestant Jackson Olson joked about being “canceled” in an Oct. 11 TikTok, days after apologizing for a comment that mocked fellow contestant Guillermo Rodriguez’s dancing. Olson said he had spoken with Rodriguez privately and that they were fine, making the follow-up post a mix of self-deprecation and an update on a brief disagreement that drew public attention.
Olson’s TikTok showed his professional dance partner, Emma Slater, leaving a rehearsal studio with her boyfriend and fellow professional dancer, Alan Bersten. The pair mouthed along to “Gotta Go My Own Way” from High School Musical 2. Olson added the text, “When your dance partner has to leave you for her boyfriend.”
In the caption, Olson listed other recent setbacks: “First I get canceled, then we lose the Banana Bowl and now this?!” The Savannah Bananas player was referring to his team’s Oct. 11 loss to the Texas Tailgaters in the inaugural Banana Bowl championship, as well as the response to his earlier remark. The TikTok did not provide further detail about the criticism or indicate that the clip was a new exchange with Rodriguez.
The controversy began with a since-deleted comment under a video of another athlete recreating a dance by Rodriguez and his partner, Witney Carson. According to the account attributed to Cosmopolitan, Olson wrote: “Seriously how did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” The remark was understood as a dig at Rodriguez’s dancing, though the supplied account does not quantify the reaction or establish how widely the comment circulated.
Why the Dance Comment Spread
The incident drew attention because Olson and Rodriguez are fellow contestants on a nationally televised competition, where their performances and interactions play out in public. A brief online joke about a co-star’s ability can become part of the show’s surrounding conversation, particularly when fans are comparing dances and contestants.
Olson’s response also shifted the focus from the original jab to how he handled its reception. He apologized publicly, accepted responsibility for the comment’s effect, and said he had spoken with Rodriguez face to face. His Oct. 11 joke about being “canceled” kept the episode in view without establishing that Rodriguez remained upset or that the contestants’ relationship had changed.
For viewers, the distinction matters: the confirmed development is an apology and Olson’s account that the pair resolved the matter privately. The claim that he was “canceled” appeared as part of a joking caption, not as evidence of a formal consequence or a measurable change in his standing on the show.
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From Deleted Comment to Apology
The sequence began when Olson posted the comment beneath a video recreating a dance performed by Rodriguez and Carson. The comment has since been deleted, and the available account does not identify when it was removed. It does, however, describe the remark as the one that prompted the controversy around Olson.
On Oct. 6, Olson posted an apology on TikTok. He said he had not intended to cause “unnecessary negativity,” took responsibility, and expressed affection for Rodriguez. He also urged people to return their attention to what the show is about: dancing. That same day, Olson told E! News that he had gone to Rodriguez’s trailer and spoken with him for about 30 minutes.
The Oct. 11 post came five days after the apology and placed the issue alongside unrelated events: Slater leaving rehearsal with Bersten and the Savannah Bananas’ championship loss. The supplied account identifies Rodriguez as a Jimmy Kimmel Live! star and a contestant paired with Carson, while Olson competes with Slater. It does not provide a statement from Rodriguez beyond Olson’s recollection of their conversation.
“To G and to all of you, I am truly sorry that my comment I made the other day caused this much unnecessary negativity. I never meant for it to do that and I take full ownership and I love this guy. Now let’s do what this show is meant to be about: DANCE.”
— Jackson Olson, in an Oct. 6 TikTok apology
What the Posts Do Not Establish
The supplied account does not include a direct statement from Rodriguez about the comment, apology or private conversation. Olson said Rodriguez told him the remark was fine, but that remains Olson’s recollection rather than an independently reported response from Rodriguez.
It is also unclear how much criticism Olson received, whether the deleted comment was removed by Olson or for another reason, and whether the exchange affected either contestant’s participation or working relationship on the show. Olson’s use of “canceled” is presented as a joke; no formal penalty or professional consequence is reported.
The Oct. 11 TikTok does not say whether Slater’s departure was anything more than a moment at the rehearsal studio. The post frames it humorously, and the available details do not suggest a dispute between Olson and his dance partner.
The Show Moves to Its Next Dances
The supplied account reports no further response from Rodriguez or new action by the show related to the comment. The next development for viewers is the contestants’ ongoing participation in Dancing With the Stars, where performances will continue to be the main focus. Any additional account of the exchange would need to come from the people involved or the program.
For now, the established sequence is limited: Olson made a comment about Rodriguez’s dancing, apologized publicly, said they spoke in person and later joked about the criticism in a TikTok. Whether Rodriguez chooses to comment publicly, or whether the incident resurfaces in later coverage of the competition, remains unknown.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
Key Questions
What did Jackson Olson say about Guillermo Rodriguez?
Olson wrote under a dance-recreation video, “Seriously how did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” The remark referred to a dance by Rodriguez and his partner, Witney Carson, and has since been deleted.
Did Olson apologize?
Yes. Olson apologized in an Oct. 6 TikTok, said he took responsibility for the comment’s effect, and said he did not intend to cause unnecessary negativity.
Did Rodriguez accept the apology?
Olson told E! News that he spoke with Rodriguez for about 30 minutes and recalled Rodriguez saying, “Dude, I know. It’s totally fine.” The supplied account does not include a separate statement from Rodriguez.
Why did Olson joke about being canceled?
In an Oct. 11 TikTok caption, Olson listed the criticism, his team’s loss in the inaugural Banana Bowl championship and Slater leaving rehearsal with Bersten as a string of setbacks. The wording was presented as a joke, not as a report of formal consequences.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
