Julia Stiles exits Dancing with the Stars

Julia Stiles left Dancing with the Stars on Monday night, ending her run on the competition after a final performance to a Disney-themed song. She danced with her professional partner, Ezra Sosa, in a paso doble to the track Satisfied from Hamilton. The episode featured a Disney on Broadway theme, with costumes and choreography inspired by musicals such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Hercules. Cynthia Erivo, known for her role in the Wicked films, served as the guest judge for the night.

Following the elimination, Stiles spoke to the audience about her time on the show. She described the experience as incredible and noted that she discovered unexpected strengths during her participation. Stiles expressed sadness at leaving Sosa, calling him an amazing person. Sosa responded by honoring Stiles, stating that watching her growth inside and outside the ballroom was a privilege. He told the actress he was lucky to share the experience with her and that he loved her.

Reactions from fellow competitors varied. Pro dancer Daniella Karagach called the elimination gut-wrenching in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. Reality star Maura Higgins, who remains in the competition, described the outcome as a shock. Fans on social media also reacted strongly to the news. Some supporters expressed frustration, with one user on X stating that Stiles would always be the winner in their house. Others cited her previous scores as justification for her departure. One viewer pointed out that guest judge Shirley Ballas had given the pair a 4 out of 10 in the previous episode. At that time, Stiles mentioned she was managing a rib injury.

Criticism of Stiles's performance strategy emerged during the season. Some viewers argued that her focus on nostalgic references to her films, such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance, prevented the audience from getting to know her personally. One commenter suggested this reliance on past fame negatively impacted her fan votes. Stiles had previously performed a tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger as part of her routines.

The remaining couples advanced to the next round with specific implications for their standings. Tatyana Ali, Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Maura Higgins, Harry Shum Jr., and Connor Wood continue to compete for the mirror ball trophy. Host Julianna Hough announced immunity for the next dance-off after the first routine of the evening. Both Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, as well as Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, received perfect scores for their dances. Dewan and Chmerkovskiy performed to Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast, while Shum and Johnson danced to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins.

Because of the tie in scores, immunity was awarded to the pair with the highest cumulative season total. Shum Jr. and Johnson secured the status with a season total of 236 points. The episode also included two group performances. One team danced to We're All in This Together from High School Musical, and the other performed to Zoo from Zootopia 2. Final elimination decisions were based on a combination of team scores, partner dance scores, and fan votes.

The show normally airs on Tuesdays on Disney+. This particular episode aired on Monday to avoid conflicting with the U.S. midterm elections. Stiles and Sosa's departure leaves seven couples in the running as the season progresses toward its finale.