‘DWTS: The Next Pro’: AJ Pritchard’s Fiancée Calls Out Rylee Arnold for Critiquing His Teaching

On the August 24 episode of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, the final four contestants were paired up with pro dancers from Dancing With the Stars. The pros spent time with judges Shirley Ballas, Mark Ballas, and Kym Johnson, and filled them in on how rehearsals went with their Next Pro contenders.

Rylee Arnold was partnered with AJ Pritchard for the challenge, and she had some critiques about his teaching style. “At the beginning, I felt that lightheartedness, but I will say, he’s kind of intense,” Rylee admitted. “I don’t know if he’s going to be able to give that affirmation to somebody. It was just constant critiques.”

AJ’s fiancée, Zara Zoffany, was not happy with the criticism, and she called Rylee out in a TikTok comment. “[AJ] would not have had to critique you in the first place if everything had been right,” she wrote. “Dancing with Bailey last week showed how he danced with an amateur & their dance was amazing. This week was [supposed] to be dancing with a Pro… Very different dynamics & what people didn’t see in rehearsals was that you injured him when you hit him in the head, leaving him with a slight concussion and needing to see a physio.”

She continued, “They showed Steph [Sosa] accidentally hitting Natalie [Jolley], but somehow, because you’re a pro, that wasn’t included in the edit. That said, AJ’s criticism has always been constructive, and he wouldn’t have needed to give it if something hadn’t been wrong. I hope you were able to take something positive and useful from his teaching and feedback.”

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Zara reposted a screenshot of the message on her Instagram story and wrote, “I’m just speaking facts.” AJ also liked the comment on TikTok.

The response drew major criticism from Dancing With the Stars fans. Rylee’s bestie (and fellow Dancing With the Stars pro) Ezra Sosa also jumped in to defend her. “Rylee is more than qualified to be a pro, and one dance with a completely different partnership does not erase the years of training, talent, and work that earned her that title,” Ezra wrote.

He continued, “Everyone’s perspective and experience in this dance world will be different. AJ is allowed to give feedback, and Rylee is allowed to be honest about how that feedback felt to her. Both can exist. Also, this is a dance competition. Everyone gets critiqued. I know Rylee. She is one of the most honest and truthful people I have ever met, she reads people and their energy incredibly well, and she is a fantastic pro. And INCREDIBLE DANCER. Watching a woman go out of her way to publicly question another woman’s qualifications and tear her down like this is so sad to see. You could have defended AJ without belittling Rylee. You chose not to.”

The Next Pro contestant Selena Hamilton also weighed in, writing on her Instagram Story, “I’ve been hit, dropped, and more on a job. Never has that been an excuse for me to treat someone like they are less than me or not qualified to be apart of the project. Accidents happen. Give people more grace jeezzzz.”

AJ, Selena, and Adele Zaikman will compete in The Next Pro finale on August 31. The winner will be on Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars this fall.

Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Season Finale, Monday, August 31, 8/7c, ABC