Warning: This narrative contains spoilers for the November 4 episode of Dancing With the Stars.
Carrie Ann Inaba didn't intend to upset a contestant. The Dancing With the Stars judge offered an apology to Danielle Fishel for her comment about her "tiny" body during the Halloween Night episode, while praising her and pro partner Pasha Pashkov's performance on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame episode that week. Before entering the ballroom on November 4, Danielle shared that Carrie's criticism had stuck with her since her October 28 routine on the ABC competition series. The Talk host had told her, "You have to use the space because you are a tiny little woman."
"I am a tiny little woman," the Boy Meets World alum reflected in a confessional, "but she's big on the inside—more powerful—so I need to unleash her more often." Danielle acknowledged that showing how much bigger she could take her movements would be no easy feat, quipping, "It doesn't come naturally to be flailing my 5-foot-1 body around the floor."
Fortunately, Pasha kept the comment in mind as well, explaining that he had choreographed a contemporary piece to Aerosmith's "Dream On" for that exact reason. "Carrie Ann wants her to fill out the space more," the dancing pro said on November 4, "which contemporary is the perfect style to put [that] into action." And Pasha was ultimately proven right. After all, Carrie took a moment to revisit her words after their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance, which received an overall score of 34 from the judges.
"I would like to apologize for my words if they hurt you at all because I didn't mean that at all," she told Danielle during the episode. "You are small but you do pack a punch, and that's why I can say it, because I believe in you, OK?" In response to the apology, Danielle assured her that she wasn't offended by the remark, insisting, "I was not."
Carrie went on to praise the dancing duo's decision to perform a contemporary dance, saying, "Contemporary is all about the emotion, it's all about the storytelling—you told that story." She added, "I felt the chills. There's that magic thing that happens in the air that we can all feel, that takes us into a place that's not here. Thank you for the transport. Well done."
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep Danielle in the competition, as she and Pasha were voted out at the end of the episode.
