Chandler Kinney, Zaria. Disney/Eric McCandless; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Cosmopolitan
Pretty Little Liars alum Zaria doesn’t know how costar Chandler Kinney only finished in third place on Dancing With the Stars season 33.
“She should have won. If this is a dancing competition — the outright best dancing star was her, technically and also decided by the judges,” Zaria, 28, wrote via X on Wednesday, November 27. “What it came down to was popularity. Who was she up against? The most popular sport in America, America’s longest-running dating show and two OLYMPIANS.”
Zaria further stressed that she was casting “no shade” at Kinney’s fellow DWTS competitors: former Bachelor Joey Graziadei, Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola.
Kinney, 24, and pro partner Brandon Armstrong earned the highest (and perfect) scores of the Tuesday, November 26, finale, but still finished in third place behind Maher, 28, and eventual winner Graziadei, 29.
“If we are talking about the only contestant who had to carry a disproportionate amount of vying for popularity points, Chandler had to outwork everyone because she didn’t enter with the audience the other people did,” Zaria claimed. “More power to them, but more work for her and she did so incredibly successfully. … With ALL that working against her, she COMPLETELY excelled. This is not a matter of opinion, go watch those dances. Count the steps to the choreo.”
She added, “And the tragic part? When SHE MADE IT LOOK EASY, the trolls were on her head. She was in that rehearsal room 7 days a week. There are no more days in a week. There was no room to grow for dedication.”
Chandler Kinney and Zaria. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Kinney was also slammed by critics for signing onto the ballroom competition with previous dance experience. (The actress grew up training in ballet.)
“If someone who has some experience shouldn’t win, why are they on the show?” Zaria asked. “Should we count it against the Olympians for having amazing arms and crazy breath control? No, we bask in it. Because those champions make us believe we could also be champions because they had to work to be there. Because they weren’t born with it, they worked for it and we were supposed to be judging ability and progress and not ~vibes~.”
Zaria concluded with a message directly to Kinney, noting that she is “so damn proud” of her costar.
“You did it. You won, Mirrorball aside,” Zaria added. “Thank you for bringing your all every week to the rehearsal to the dance floor. It is unjust you don’t have a physical repression of your work, but let the love of everyone around be so palpable you can touch it. … It was a privilege to be in the room as you made history.”
Kinney and Armstrong, 30, were the first Black couple to make it to the DWTS finale, an honor that was not lost on them.
“I did exactly what I wanted to do. It was a celebration of everyone [who’s] come before us to allow us to be in this space, to have this conversation, to dance for people,” Kinney told Us Weekly and other reporters on Tuesday night. “And so that was much more than anything. It transcends the competition for me.”
Armstrong, for his part, added, “It’s a win for me to be here. I think our freestyle was more important than our placing.”
Kinney’s fellow PLL costar Bailee Madison, who was in the ballroom on Tuesday, also shared a supportive message.
“I’m sorry…. But they just deserved better,” Madison, 25, wrote via X several hours later. “I should prob sleep but CHAN BRAN. We love YOU!!
