Olson frames the entire controversy as a minor misunderstanding that he handled with grace, emphasizing his love for Guillermo and his commitment to the dance community.
Insiders say the 'canceled' label was Olson's way of deflecting the heat after his comment about Rodriguez's dancing abilities went viral and sparked genuine anger among fans.
On Oct. 6, Olson posted a TikTok apology stating, 'I take full ownership.' He also told E! News he spoke with Rodriguez for 30 minutes in his trailer to clear the air.
Olson is trying to pivot from 'clowning on a legend' to 'misunderstood athlete,' but the internet has receipts of the original jab.
Jackson Olson is attempting to rewrite the narrative of his Dancing With the Stars debut, but the tea is still piping hot. A week after sparking a firestorm by publicly questioning the dance skills of costar Guillermo Rodriguez, the Savannah Bananas star took to TikTok on October 11 to claim he was "canceled." In a video capturing his pro partner Emma Slater leaving rehearsal with her boyfriend Alan Bersten, Olson captioned the clip, "When your dance partner has to leave you for her boyfriend," while also noting his baseball team's loss in the inaugural Banana Bowl championship.
The caption read, "First I get canceled, then we lose the Banana Bowl and now this?!" effectively grouping his professional baseball defeat with the social media backlash over his comments. The root of this drama lies in a now-deleted comment Olson left on a video of another athlete recreating a routine by Rodriguez and his partner Witney Carson. According to reports from Cosmopolitan, Olson wrote, "Seriously how did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal." For a contestant just starting out on DWTS season 35, publicly undermining a veteran like the Jimmy Kimmel Live! star was a bold, if not reckless, move.
The comment quickly circulated, drawing criticism from fans who felt Olson was being disrespectful to a beloved figure in the DWTS family. By October 6, Olson had issued a public apology on TikTok, stating, "To G and to all of you, I am truly sorry that my comment I made the other day caused this much unnecessary negativity." He emphasized that he never intended to cause a stir and declared, "I love this guy.
Now let’s do what this show is meant to be about: DANCE." In a follow-up interview with E! News, Olson revealed he went to Rodriguez’s trailer to resolve the issue face-to-face. "We talked for 30 minutes," Olson said.
"We’re fine. We’ve been friends through this entire journey." He recounted Rodriguez’s response as forgiving, noting, "He was like, ‘Dude, I know. It’s totally fine.’" Despite the alleged reconciliation, Olson’s recent TikTok suggests he is still processing the fallout by leaning into self-deprecating humor.
The video of Slater and Bersten lip-syncing to High School Musical 2’s "Gotta Go My Own Way" served as a comedic buffer against the criticism. While Olson claims the air is cleared, the incident serves as a cautionary tale for new DWTS contestants: the ballroom has long memories, and comparing yourself to the veterans before you’ve even learned the waltz can lead to some very public stumbles.
