Natalie Jolley has spoken out about her shocking Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro elimination after being injured.

ADVERTISEMENT

During the Monday, July 27 episode of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC, Stephani Sosa, 26, 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.

RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)

Natalie's eye immediately swelled up, and once inside an ambulance, she said she couldn't breathe through her nose.

Stephani said she felt "horrible" about the accident, especially when she later learned from Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro judge Shirley Ballas that Natalie had not been "medically cleared" to compete and so she was eliminated from the competition.

On Wednesday, July 29, Natalie took to Instagram and broke her silence about her ouster.

"First, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the love and support I've been receiving. It means the absolute world to me," Natalie wrote.

"Being part of @dancingwiththestars The Next Pro has been one of the biggest honors of my life, and although my time on the show ended unexpectedly, I'm walking away with so much gratitude for this opportunity."

Natalie insisted she had done "everything in my power" to stay in the competition.

However, the dancer's black eye and concussion were apparently enough for the medical team to determine she couldn't continue to meet the demands of the show.

"This was my first experience dancing on commercial television, and while I was definitely intimidated at first, I found my confidence as the days went on," Natalie shared.

"If there's one thing this experience has taught me, it's to do the scary thing. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and watch yourself grow!"

Natalie said she's "so grateful for the time" she was able to spend "in the house and on stage" with her fellow competitors.

"[I'm grateful] for the experiences, the challenges, and the people I met who I now call family," Natalie continued.

"I truly believe everything happens for a reason, even when it's hard to understand in the moment. I'm choosing to trust the process, keep moving forward, and believe that what's meant for me will always find me."

Natalie concluded, "I know this is only the beginning as I continue to learn, grow, and come back even stronger!!"

At the end of the latest Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro episode, Natalie returned to wish the dancers well and thank everyone for the experience.

"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 Dancing with the Stars pro Ezra Sosa defended his sister, Stephani, amid backlash over her accidental face slap during rehearsals.

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 and attention paid to her surroundings.

A group of fans were against Stephani from the beginning because they thought she had an unfair advantage being Ezra's sister.

RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)

Since Natalie was eliminated due to her injury, the bottom-two contestants of the episode -- Selena Hamilton and Tristen Sanders -- were given another chance to perform again.

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro airs Monday nights on ABC and will conclude with the winner becoming a pro partner on Dancing with the Stars' upcoming 35th season this fall.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON GOOGLE NEWS