Corey Feldman Says Jenna Johnson Deserved Better After DWTS Exit
Elimination on One-Hit Wonders Night prompts apology from Feldman; Johnson emotional after the farewell.
Corey Feldman says his Dancing With the Stars partner Jenna Johnson deserved better after their elimination on Tuesday's One-Hit Wonders Night. Feldman and Johnson, who won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy last season with Bachelor alum Joey Graziadei, were sent home in a double elimination that also included Baron Davis and Britt Stewart.
"Jenna’s amazing. I really enjoyed her," Feldman, 54, said after learning his fate. "I feel really terrible because she deserved better, personally speaking." Johnson, who teamed with Feldman on last season's win, later told Good Morning America that the pair had "just had a little cry in the trailer together" and "licked [their] wounds." The duo had earned a total score of 15/30 for Tuesday's cha-cha to "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot, and a 9/20 during last week's Season 34 premiere for their tango to Billy Joel's "It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me." Carrie Ann Inaba could not attend the premiere, leaving Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough to judge with 10 points each.
Beyond the elimination, Feldman acknowledged the show's grueling rehearsal schedule as a major challenge, echoing a Daily Mail report that cited a source saying some competitors are less committed. Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Johnson's brother-in-law, told the outlet that Jenna has an uphill climb with Corey and that learning choreography may not be Feldman's comfort zone, with age and technique cited as potential factors.
Johnson later described on Good Morning America how the two had a moment in the trailer after learning their fate, saying they had "just had a little cry" and "licked [their] wounds." Feldman said the emotional toll was part of the process and that he believed the entire cast delivered exceptional performances this season, making the outcome all the more difficult.
Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars features Robert Irwin, Hilaria Baldwin, Danielle Fishel and more, and returns next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+. New episodes stream on Hulu the following day.
Feldman and Johnson's exit comes as the competition showcases a mix of veterans and newcomers as it moves toward the Mirrorball Trophy.