Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro contestant Stephani Sosa has opened up about accidentally injuring Natalie Jolley during a rehearsal, resulting in Natalie's unexpected ouster from the competition.
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"It just broke my heart that she left the competition early. I definitely -- it was a really hard week for me because I just felt, like, horrible."
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During the Monday, July 27 episode of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC, Stephani accidentally hit Natalie in the face with her hand while they were rehearsing a group number that was supposed to resemble the big opening performance of a typical Dancing with the Stars broadcast.
Natalie's eye immediately swelled up and she was taken away from the studio in an ambulance. She was shown complaining that she couldn't breathe through her nose, and she apparently suffered a concussion.
Stephani said Natalie is "such a beautiful dancer in person" and accidentally striking her in the face was "really hard" for her to come back from.
Once Stephani found out Natalie could no longer compete due to her injury, Stephani recalled, "I did go up on her and check on her, and honestly, I was just crying to her and telling her how sorry I was."
Stephani insisted she "felt so bad" about ruining her friend's chances to become the next pro partner on Dancing with the Stars' upcoming 35th season.
"I know how hard she worked to be there. We all worked really hard. So, it just broke my heart. I'm sending her so much love," Stephani said.
Stephani also confirmed that she and Natalie -- who "worked together before the show" -- are still cool.
"She's like a little sis! She's so cute," Stephani gushed.
Natalie, for her part, wrote July 29 on Instagram that her short-lived experience on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro was still "one of the biggest honors" of her life and she would've done "everything in my power" to stay.
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Although Natalie was not medically cleared to resume the competition, Stephani advanced to the next episode of the show.
Stephani -- whose brother Ezra Sosa is already a pro on Dancing with the Stars -- admitted that winning Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro would "mean everything" to her.
"Growing up, my family sacrificed a lot for us to dance, and all of the sacrifices that my parents made -- we went through so much. And so it would just be a dream come true," Stephani shared.
"Ezra and I have always dreamed of being on Dancing with the Stars together. We used to sit down as a family and watch it, and Ezra and I would be like, 'That's going to be us.'"
Stephani stated that she got to "live out a little bit of that dream" by performing as a Troupe dancer on Dancing with the Stars.
Stephani danced as a member of the DWTS Troupe for Season 33, which aired in 2024. She was not asked back, however, for Season 34 in Fall 2025.
"And that first year of Ezra being a pro, that year was so surreal for me and my family," Stephani recalled of Season 33.
Stephani also revealed that her dream celebrity partner on Dancing with the Stars would be actor Ryan Gosling.
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"I'm really sad and disappointed that I won't be able to continue in this competition, but the most important thing is just to take care of my body so that I can dance again," Natalie explained to the cast.
"I love all of you so, so, so much, and I'm going to miss you all. Thank you so much."
Natalie posted her statement one day after Ezra defended Stephani amid backlash over her accidental face slap.
Ezra expressed surprise over nasty comments about Stephani on TikTok, and he clarified, "My sister apologized to Natalie they didn't air it. Also this happens all the time when you are rehearsing."
Ezra also poked fun at Stephani "bitch slapping another contestant" while dancing.
Many Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro viewers argued that Stephani should've been the one ousted from the competition due to her lack of spatial awareness in a group performance.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
A group of fans were already against Stephani from the beginning because they thought she had an unfair advantage being Ezra's sister.
Since Natalie was eliminated due to her injury, the bottom-two contestants of the episode -- Selena Hamilton and Tristen Sanders -- were declared safe.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
