TL;DR
Get your wardrobe favorites delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Dancing With the Stars contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson say they are friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment that fans viewed as disrespectful. Rodriguez said they were having fun competing, and Olson said they had spoken privately to clear the air.
DWTS contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson say there is no bad blood between them after Olson apologized for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing that drew criticism from fans. Rodriguez told TV Insider on Tuesday that the pair are friends despite competing on the show, while Olson said he was sorry the comment had caused negativity.
Olson, an infielder with the Savannah Bananas, posted an apology on Instagram earlier Tuesday. He addressed Rodriguez and viewers, writing, “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.” The post included a video of the two men dancing together to “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana.
The comment at issue appeared under a TikTok video posted the previous week by Loco Beach Coconuts, a Banana Ball team. The video showed player Erik Ostberg recreating a dance Rodriguez had performed with his professional partner, Witney Carson, earlier in the season. Olson praised Ostberg’s version, reportedly asking how he had done it better than Rodriguez with two hours of rehearsal. The comment was later deleted.
Some fans took Olson’s remark as disrespectful to Rodriguez. Olson told TV Insider that he cared about Rodriguez and that the two had grown close during the show. He said he went to Rodriguez’s trailer and they talked for about 30 minutes, then agreed to make clear publicly that they were friends. Rodriguez separately said they were competing against one another but enjoying the experience and described Olson as “a good guy.”
DWTS · Friendship & Competition
How an Apology Helped Two Contestants Move Forward
After a dance comparison drew criticism online, Jackson Olson apologized to Guillermo Rodriguez. Both contestants say they remain friends while competing on Dancing With the Stars.
From comparison to clarification
A TikTok dance recreation prompted a remark about who performed better. Fans objected to the comparison, and Olson later addressed Rodriguez and viewers directly.
Loco Beach Coconuts shared Erik Ostberg recreating a dance associated with Rodriguez and Witney Carson.
Olson reportedly compared the performances and mentioned Ostberg’s two hours of rehearsal. The comment was deleted.
Some fans viewed the remark as disrespectful. Olson said he spoke with Rodriguez privately in his trailer.
Olson apologized on Instagram, and the two appeared together dancing to “Nobody’s Perfect.”
They say the friendship remains
Both contestants described the relationship as friendly despite the public reaction. Olson said he cared about Rodriguez and wanted to clear the air.
“We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.”
Guillermo Rodriguez · TV Insider
Known facts, clear limits
The public account offers a straightforward outcome while leaving some parts of the online response unmeasured.
Apology and reassurance
Olson apologized for the comment and its effect. Rodriguez and Olson both said they are friends.
No reported show change
Both remain contestants on Dancing With the Stars. No formal action or change to the competition was announced.
Scale of reaction
The account does not quantify fan response. The original comment is deleted, and details of their private conversation were not provided.
The competition continues onscreen
The reported resolution is limited and clear: Olson apologized, Rodriguez said they remain friends, and both described competing as compatible with that friendship.
Friends, still in the contest
No further statement, disciplinary action, or effect on the show was reported. Whether the incident prompts more online discussion remains unclear.
Key questions
A concise guide to the apology, the deleted comment, and what the incident means for the season.
Why did Jackson Olson apologize?
He apologized for a social media comment comparing Erik Ostberg’s dance with Rodriguez’s earlier performance. Some fans interpreted it as disrespectful.
What did the comment say?
Olson reportedly questioned how Ostberg had performed the dance better than Rodriguez with two hours of rehearsal. The comment was later deleted.
Are Rodriguez and Olson still friends?
Yes. Both described themselves as friends, and Olson said they spoke privately to clear the air.
Did it change the competition?
No change was reported. Both men remain contestants, with no formal action announced.
A Public Apology, Then Reassurance
The episode shows how an offhand comment about a performance can become a public dispute when fans interpret it as a slight toward a contestant. In this case, the people directly involved have since described the relationship as friendly, and Olson’s apology addressed both Rodriguez and the audience that reacted to the remark.
For viewers following DWTS, the clarification separates the online response from the contestants’ own account of their relationship. Rodriguez and Olson are still competing, but each has said that the competition has not turned into personal hostility. Their statements also make clear that the apology was about the comment and the negativity it prompted, rather than an announced change to the show or its competition.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the Comment Reached Fans
The exchange began with a short dance recreation, not a direct statement about the contestants’ friendship. Loco Beach Coconuts shared a TikTok featuring Erik Ostberg performing a routine associated with Rodriguez and Carson. Olson’s now-deleted comment compared the two performances and referred to rehearsal time. The precise wording was reported as a compliment to Ostberg’s take, but viewers objected to the comparison.
After the reaction, Olson apologized on Instagram and the two men appeared together in a dance video. He also told TV Insider that they had already spoken face to face. The timeline reported is therefore: the TikTok and comment appeared the previous week, criticism followed online, and Olson posted his apology and Rodriguez responded on Tuesday, October 7.
““We’re friends. 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 Online Reaction Cannot Establish
The public statements establish that both men describe themselves as friends and that Olson apologized. They do not show how every viewer interpreted the original comment, and the available account does not quantify the online response. The comment itself has been deleted, so readers cannot review its original post directly from Olson’s account.
There is also no indication that the disagreement prompted any formal action by the program or changed the competition. The account does not describe any further consequences, nor does it suggest that either contestant has withdrawn or altered plans for the season. The reported private conversation is Olson’s account; no additional details about what was said in the trailer were provided.
The Competition Continues Onscreen
Rodriguez and Olson remain contestants on Dancing With the Stars, and their public comments frame the matter as resolved between them. The next development for viewers is likely to be their continued participation in the competition; no further statement, disciplinary action, or change to the show was announced in the reporting.
For now, the confirmed outcome is limited: Olson apologized, Rodriguez said they remain friends, and both described the competition as compatible with that friendship. Whether the episode draws further discussion online is not clear.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Key Questions
Why did Jackson Olson apologize to Guillermo Rodriguez?
Olson apologized for a social media comment comparing a dance by Erik Ostberg with Rodriguez’s earlier DWTS performance. Fans interpreted the remark as disrespectful to Rodriguez.What did Olson say in the comment?
Olson reportedly wrote under a TikTok video that he did not know how Ostberg had done the dance better than Rodriguez with two hours of rehearsal. The comment was later deleted.Are Rodriguez and Olson still friends?
Yes. Rodriguez told TV Insider, “We’re friends,” and Olson also described them as friends. Olson said they talked privately to clear the air.Did the incident change the DWTS competition?
No change was reported. Both men remain contestants, and no formal action or effect on the competition was announced.Source: Los Angeles Times
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
