Sharna Burgess is going through it. First, she wasn’t asked back for Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars. On the plus side, she has a new podcast with her boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, called Old-ish. But she mentioned “a really difficult” partner that she had on DWTS. So, actor Jesse Metcalfe’s rep slammed Sharna in a statement. She was called “highly unprofessional” for making “insinuations just to promote the first episode of her podcast.”
And DWTS was picketed by striking members of the Writers Guild of America. One contestant, actor and comedian Matt Walsh, quit the show. There was talk that the network might postpone its premiere. But SAG-AFTRA supported the contestants, stating they wouldn’t violate their strike rules by honoring their DWTS contract.
Well, now Sharna waded into the messy strike situation. Page Six has the details.
Sharna feels sorry for all sides
“I couldn’t even [tell] you what’s the right decision. All I know is that it must be such a hard position to be in for everyone involved,” the dance pro stated. “I could not imagine the pressure and the stress.”
Sharna continued, “I can understand the want and the need for both decisions. The decision to want to move ahead for the 500-plus employees that want to be able to feed their families and have a job, or the need to stand in solidarity with the WGA and SAG to create real change for people.”
“I get both sides and I truly feel for them in this moment,” she added. Sharna said that she is “sending so much love and support” to everyone involved.
Sharna received some answers
After Sharna discussed not being asked back to DWTS, she heard from producers. “Yes, since that podcast [I’ve gotten calls]. It was still very raw for me and it was a very emotional space and it still is very emotional because I love that show so much,” Sharna remarked. She added that she would “always say yes” if she was invited back in the future.
“But I’m also coming from a place of deep gratitude for my experience on the show. I have so much love for it, and as I said on that podcast, two things can be true at the same time: I can be deeply saddened that I’m not there and wish that I was, but I can also still be deeply in love with the show and want to cheer it on, support it and see it be truly successful,” Sharna explained.
I hope that Sharna is back in the ballroom next season.
As of now, Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars premieres on Tuesday, September 26 at 8/7c on ABC, streaming live on Disney Plus, and available the next day on Hulu.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF SHARNA’S COMMENTS ABOUT THE STRIKE? DO YOU WANT TO SEE HER COME BACK IN THE FUTURE?
