Hilaria Baldwin Explains Why She Became the 'Villain' on 'Dancing With the Stars': 'People Have Very Strong Feelings'
Hilaria Baldwin opened up about her experience on 'Dancing with the Stars'
Oct. 27 2026, Published 8:09 a.m. ET
Hilaria Baldwin is opening up about the backlash she faced during season 34 of Dancing With the Stars, saying her previous ballroom experience helped turn her into a target.
Baldwin competed with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko in 2025 and was the fourth couple eliminated, leaving the competition on Oct. 7.
She later claimed coordinated TikTok voting campaigns and online bullying contributed to her exit. Now, she says the drama surrounding her dance background was one of the hardest parts of the experience.
Why Hilaria Baldwin Says She Became the Villain
Hilaria Baldwin said that people were upset about her past ballroom experience
Speaking with Us Weekly in New York City on Oct. 23, Baldwin said the tension was difficult, particularly because she came from the ballroom world.
"One of the hard things — especially people who come from the ballroom world, which I came from — was the drama," she said.
Baldwin said she "became the villain" because viewers had strong reactions to her previous dance training. The issue, she stressed, was never hidden from the show's production.
Her Past Ballroom Experience Became The Talking Point
Hilaria Baldwin spoke about her dance background before she came on the show
Baldwin studied ballet, ballroom and Latin dance while growing up and later studied dance at New York University. That background was known when she joined the show, but she said viewers still had strong feelings about contestants with formal dance experience.
"Not that it was a secret. They knew that going [in]. But people have very strong feelings about dancers who go [on] there," she said.
The criticism is not new to the franchise. Contestants with significant dance backgrounds have previously faced questions about whether their experience gives them an advantage, making the issue a recurring point of debate among viewers.
How She Views The Current Season 35 Drama
Hilaria Baldwin said that people have strong feelings about the dancers who participate on the show
Baldwin also addressed the controversy surrounding season 35, including the one-week suspension of pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
BBC Studios suspended him after an "inappropriate" social media post about judge Carrie Ann Inaba following her criticism of his wife, Jenna Johnson, and her partner, Harry Shum Jr.
Chmerkovskiy sat out the Oct. 20 episode but is scheduled to return with Jenna Dewan for the Oct. 27 Horror Movie Night. ABC says the episode will feature a double elimination after no couple was sent home the previous week.
Baldwin said she has known Val since they were teenagers and praised him, Maks Chmerkovskiy, and Savchenko as exceptional dancers. She also emphasized the skill of the show's professional dancers.
What She Said About Social Media and Fan Votes
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Hilaria Baldiwn said that coordinated voting campaigns on TikTok affected her chances on the show
Baldwin sees social media as both a benefit and a problem.
She said it helped keep Dancing With the Stars relevant and bring more people into the conversation, but online campaigns can also intensify criticism of contestants.
After her elimination, Baldwin said on Instagram Live and the Too Much podcast that coordinated voting efforts on TikTok hurt her chances.
She claimed users were voting for other couples rather than their favorites in an effort to overwhelm her supporters.
Despite the difficult experience, Baldwin said everyone on the show was lovely, that she had the time of her life, and that she came away from the experience a happier person.
