Julia Stiles Eliminated From Dancing With The Stars
Disney Night Eliminations
The competition for the Season 35 mirror ball trophy has intensified, leaving only seven celebrities remaining in the race. The most recent episode, themed as Disney Night, featured routines inspired by famous musicals and introduced guest judge Cynthia Erivo, who joined regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli to evaluate the performances.
During this high-stakes evening, actor Julia Stiles and her professional partner, Ezra Sosa, were eliminated from the competition. They became the ninth couple to leave the show. Stiles performed a paso doble to the song “Satisfied” from the musical Hamilton, which earned a total of 33 out of 40 points from the judging panel. Following the announcement of her departure, Stiles described her time on the program as an incredible experience, noting that the process helped her pull things out of herself that she did not realize were there.
Ezra Sosa expressed his gratitude toward Stiles, stating it had been an absolute honor to witness her growth both inside and outside the ballroom. He shared his love for her and noted how lucky he felt to have shared the experience with her as a partner.
Perfect Scores And Team Performances
While the night ended in heartbreak for Stiles, other contestants reached the pinnacle of the leaderboard. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Dewan both earned perfect marks from the judges for their individual routines. Shum Jr., known for his role on Glee, teamed up with Jenna Johnson for a jazz performance of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. This routine, which included a live performance by Kyra Belle Johnson, marked the second consecutive perfect score for the pair.
Similarly, Jenna Dewan and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy achieved full marks. They performed a quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast, accompanied by a live performance from Rodney Ingram.
The episode also featured group dances where celebrities were divided into two teams, joined by cohosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. Shum Jr. and Dewan were part of Team Wildcats, alongside Connor Wood and Ezra Frech. Their performance of “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical earned a perfect score of 40 out of 40.
They competed against Team Slaytopia, which consisted of Tatyana Ali, Maura Higgins, Amber Glenn, Julia Stiles, and Alfonso Ribeiro. Team Slaytopia performed “Zoo” from Zootopia 2, earning a score of 36 out of 40.
Despite the tie in perfect scores for the individual rounds, only one couple could secure immunity for the following week’s dance-off. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson won the tiebreaker based on their cumulative season score. They held a total of 236 points, narrowly beating Dewan and Chmerkovskiy, who had 235 points.
Season Elimination History
The journey to the finals has seen several notable departures. Before Julia Stiles left in Week 8, the competition saw the exit of reality TV star Tyler Cameron and baseball player Jackson Olson in Week 7. Week 6 featured no eliminations. In Week 5, TV personality Guillermo Rodriguez was sent home, followed by reality star Ciara Miller in Week 4 and singer Taylor Hanson in Week 3.
The early stages of the season were equally competitive. Chef Giada De Laurentiis was eliminated in Week 2, while the first week saw the departure of reality star Conner Leavitt and influencer Sarah Jane Nader.
Due to Election Day, the most recent episode aired on a Monday instead of the usual Tuesday slot. The show typically broadcasts at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with streaming availability on Hulu the following day. The remaining seven couples now prepare for the next stage of the competition as they vie for the mirror ball trophy.