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Dancing With the Stars contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson said they remain friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s performance. The comment, which has since been deleted, prompted criticism from fans who considered it disrespectful.
Dancing With the Stars contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson said they remain friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment that fans perceived as disrespectful to Rodriguez. Rodriguez told TV Insider on Tuesday that the two are competing but having fun, while Olson described them as “truly friends.”
Olson, an infielder with the Savannah Bananas, posted an apology on Instagram earlier Tuesday. He said he was sorry to Rodriguez and to others for a comment he had made “the other day” and for the negativity it caused. The post included video of Olson and Rodriguez dancing together to “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana.
The comment had appeared beneath a TikTok video posted last week by the Banana Ball team Loco Beach Coconuts. The video showed player Erik Ostberg recreating a dance Rodriguez and his professional partner, Witney Carson, had performed on the show. Olson wrote, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal,” praising Ostberg’s version. The comment was later deleted, and fans criticized it on social media.
Olson told TV Insider that he and Rodriguez had talked privately in Rodriguez’s trailer for about 30 minutes before addressing the issue publicly. He said they wanted to clear the air and show viewers they were friends, not acting maliciously toward one another. Rodriguez’s response likewise emphasized their friendship rather than any continuing dispute.
Dancing With the Stars · The Story Behind the Apology
An Apology Brings DWTS Contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson Back Together
After a social media comment about Guillermo Rodriguez’s dance drew criticism, Jackson Olson apologized. Both contestants say they remain friends and are enjoying the competition.
At a glance · October update
What happened
A remark about a dance recreation sparked fan criticism. The contestants addressed the reaction and described their relationship in their own words.
A comparison caught attention
Jackson Olson praised Erik Ostberg’s recreation of a Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson dance, asking how Ostberg did it better with two hours of rehearsal.
Olson apologized
In an Instagram post, Olson said he was sorry to Rodriguez and others for the comment and the negativity it caused. The comment was later deleted.
They say they are friends
Rodriguez said they are having fun while competing. Olson called them “truly friends.” Neither described an ongoing conflict.
Their words
Clearing the air, publicly
Olson said they spoke privately in Rodriguez’s trailer for about 30 minutes before addressing the issue publicly.
“We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.”
Guillermo Rodriguez · TV Insider
“To G and to all of you, from the bottom of my heart I am so sorry about my comment I made the other day and that it caused this much negativity.”
Jackson Olson · Instagram
“We’re truly friends.”
Jackson Olson · TV Insider
“I love Guillermo, and I have loved him [since we met].”
Jackson Olson · TV Insider
The sequence
From dance video to public response
The reported events connect a team social post, a fan reaction, and the contestants’ own clarification.
Dance recreation
Loco Beach Coconuts share Erik Ostberg recreating a dance by Rodriguez and Witney Carson.
Comment & criticism
Olson compares the performances; fans criticize the remark as disrespectful.
Private conversation
Olson says they talk in Rodriguez’s trailer to clear the air.
Apology & reassurance
Olson apologizes; both say their friendship continues alongside the competition.
Context & limits
What the public account leaves open
The available reporting records the apology and both contestants’ statements. It does not establish every detail behind the comment or their private conversation.
The reporting does not establish exactly how Olson intended the original comment to sound.
Details beyond Olson’s account of clearing the air were not reported.
Who removed it and the precise timing of its deletion are unspecified.
No formal action or statement from the show was reported alongside the apology.
Quick answers
Key questions
The clearest update comes from the contestants’ statements and Olson’s apology.
Why did Jackson Olson apologize?
His comment beneath a TikTok dance video drew criticism. It praised Erik Ostberg’s recreation and compared it favorably with Rodriguez’s performance.
Are they still friends?
Yes. Both told TV Insider they remain friends while competing on Dancing With the Stars.
Where did Olson apologize?
He posted on Instagram on Tuesday. The post included video of the two dancing to “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana.
Did the comment prove he meant to insult Rodriguez?
No such intent is established in the reporting. Fans interpreted the remark as disrespectful; Olson apologized for the comment and its effect.
A Public Apology Clears the Air
The exchange matters because the comment became a public point of friction around two contestants on a competition show. Olson’s apology and both men’s statements offer a direct account of where their relationship stands: they say they are friends and are enjoying the competition, even as they compete against each other.
The episode also shows how a brief social media remark can be interpreted beyond its intended setting once fans connect it to a contestant’s on-show performance. In this case, the comment compared Ostberg’s recreation favorably with Rodriguez’s dance after only two hours of rehearsal. Fans took offense on Rodriguez’s behalf, but the available accounts do not establish that Olson meant to insult him. Olson apologized for the comment and the reaction it caused; Rodriguez publicly described Olson as a good guy.
For viewers, the clarification helps distinguish the online criticism from the contestants’ own account of their relationship. It does not change the reported competition itself, but it addresses speculation about whether the two had fallen out.
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How the Comment Drew Attention
The dispute began with a video posted last week by Loco Beach Coconuts, a Banana Ball team, featuring Erik Ostberg performing a version of a dance Rodriguez and Witney Carson had done earlier in the season. Olson’s comment compared the two performances and noted Ostberg had rehearsed for two hours. The wording drew criticism from fans, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Rodriguez is known as a star of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, while Olson plays for the Savannah Bananas and is appearing as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. Their public exchange followed Olson’s apology on Instagram and comments to TV Insider. The account does not report any formal action by the show or a change in the contestants’ status.
“We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.”
— Guillermo Rodriguez, speaking to TV Insider
What the Public Account Leaves Open
The available reporting does not establish exactly how Olson intended the original comment to sound, or what he and Rodriguez said during their private conversation beyond Olson’s description that they discussed clearing the air. Fans criticized the remark, but that reaction does not by itself confirm that Olson intended disrespect. Neither contestant has described an ongoing conflict, and there is no reported statement from the show about the incident.
The timing of the comment’s deletion and whether it was removed by Olson or another account is not specified. The reporting also does not say whether the contestants discussed the matter further after their public statements.
The Competition Continues
Rodriguez and Olson remain contestants on Dancing With the Stars and have said they are continuing to compete while maintaining their friendship. No further action or show response was reported alongside the apology. The next confirmed developments are likely to come through the program’s ongoing competition or any additional public comments from the contestants; no specific follow-up announcement was given.
For now, the clearest account is the one both men have provided: Olson apologized for the comment and the negativity it caused, and Rodriguez said they are friends. Whether either chooses to say more remains unknown.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Key Questions
Why did Jackson Olson apologize to Guillermo Rodriguez?
Olson apologized after a comment beneath a TikTok dance video drew criticism. He had praised Erik Ostberg’s recreation of Rodriguez’s dance, asking how Ostberg had done it better with two hours of rehearsal.
Are Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson still friends?
Yes. Both told TV Insider they remain friends. Rodriguez said they are competing but having fun, and Olson called them “truly friends.”
Where did Olson make the apology?
Olson posted his apology on Instagram on Tuesday. The post included video of him and Rodriguez dancing to “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana.
Did Jackson Olson’s comment accuse Rodriguez of anything?
The reported comment compared Ostberg’s dance recreation favorably with Rodriguez’s performance and mentioned two hours of rehearsal. Fans interpreted it as disrespectful, but the reporting does not establish that Olson intended to insult Rodriguez.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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