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Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson said they are friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment that fans viewed as disrespectful. Olson said they spoke privately and posted a video of the pair dancing; neither described an ongoing dispute.
“Dancing With the Stars” contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson say they are friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing that drew criticism from fans. Rodriguez told TV Insider they were competing but having fun, while Olson said they were “truly friends.”
Olson, an infielder with the Savannah Bananas, posted an apology on Instagram Tuesday. He addressed Rodriguez and people who reacted to the comment, saying he was sorry for what he had written and for the negativity it caused. The post included a video of the two dancing together to “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana.
Olson’s caption said he loved Rodriguez and urged viewers to focus on dancing, the purpose of the show. Rodriguez separately told TV Insider, “We’re friends.” He added that although they are competing against each other, they are having fun and that Olson is a good guy.
The apology followed a now-deleted comment Olson left beneath a TikTok video posted the previous week by Loco Beach Coconuts, a Banana Ball team. The clip showed player Erik Ostberg recreating a dance Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson had performed earlier in the season. Olson praised Ostberg’s version, writing, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” Fans took the remark as disrespectful to Rodriguez.
A Rivalry Put Back in Perspective
The exchange drew attention because it involved two contestants who are competing on the same television program, and the comment compared one contestant’s performance with another’s. Olson’s apology and both men’s statements now offer a direct account of their relationship: they say they are friends, even as they compete.
For viewers, the clarification helps distinguish online fan reaction from what the people involved say happened between them. Olson said he and Rodriguez spoke in private before making their friendship visible in the Instagram video. Their comments do not erase the criticism, but they indicate that neither is publicly describing the incident as an unresolved feud.
The episode also shows how a short comment about a performance can take on broader meaning once fans interpret it as a personal slight. In this case, the available statements suggest a disagreement over wording and its reception, rather than a confirmed, lasting conflict between the contestants.
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How the Comment Drew Attention
The comment appeared beneath a video showing Erik Ostberg recreating Rodriguez and Carson’s dance. Olson’s wording praised Ostberg by saying he had done the dance better despite having only two hours of rehearsal. The comment was later deleted, and fans criticized it as disrespectful to Rodriguez.
After apologizing, Olson told TV Insider he had spoken with Rodriguez in the latter’s trailer. Olson said they talked for about 30 minutes and wanted to clear the air and show people they were not acting maliciously toward each other. He also said he loved Rodriguez and that the two had grown close during the show.
The key public developments came Tuesday: Olson posted his apology and the dance video, and Rodriguez told TV Insider they remained friends. The statements followed the earlier TikTok exchange; they did not describe any formal action by the show or the teams.
““We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.””
— Guillermo Rodriguez, speaking to TV Insider
What the Public Statements Establish
The men have both said they are friends, and Olson has apologized, but the full private conversation has not been made public. Olson’s comment was deleted, and the available account does not establish exactly how Rodriguez initially felt about it or whether he asked Olson to apologize.
It is also unclear how many viewers saw the original comment before it was removed or how the incident affected either contestant’s standing with fans. The reported statements do not indicate that the show took action or that the matter changed their participation in the competition. Claims that the pair were in a serious feud would go beyond what either man has said.
Their Competition Continues
Rodriguez and Olson remain contestants on “Dancing With the Stars”, and their public statements frame the disagreement as addressed. The immediate next step is the continuation of the season and their competition; no further response, formal resolution, or change to their roles has been announced in the reported statements.
Any later development would need to come from the contestants, the show, or their teams. For now, the confirmed update is limited to Olson’s apology, the pair’s private conversation as Olson described it, and both men’s public statements that they are friends.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Key Questions
Are Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson on good terms?
Both say they are friends. Rodriguez told TV Insider they are competing but having fun, and Olson described them as “truly friends.”
Why did Jackson Olson apologize?
Olson apologized for a now-deleted comment praising Erik Ostberg’s recreation of a dance by Rodriguez and Witney Carson. Fans viewed Olson’s comparison as disrespectful to Rodriguez.
Did Rodriguez and Olson speak privately?
Olson told TV Insider he went to Rodriguez’s trailer and they talked for about 30 minutes to clear the air.
Did the incident affect their participation on DWTS?
No change to either contestant’s participation was reported. The available statements say they remain in the competition, but do not describe any show response.
Source: Los Angeles Times
