Stone discussed the experience in an interview published by Variety on September 17, 2026, while reflecting on her career and the lasting public response to her best-known role.

Asked whether people were afraid of her after Basic Instinct, Stone answered, “Yes.”

She then described how publicity interviews were arranged: “What they would do is they would show the film to the press and then bring them in to interview me.”

“They were terrified, and they would sit down opposite me and panic,” Stone said.

A role that followed her

Stone played Catherine Tramell, a wealthy crime novelist suspected of murder, in Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct.

The film became closely associated with Stone’s performance, including an interrogation scene that generated extensive public discussion when the movie was released.

In the scene, Tramell projects control and challenges the authority of the investigators questioning her.

Stone connected the response to the character’s refusal to conform to conventional expectations of women.

“I think that the basic construct of a woman declaring herself as separate and indomitable was, and remains, a terrifying construct,” she said.

The quote was also reported by People, which described Stone as saying that people remain afraid of her “in one way or another.”

Stone said the reaction has not entirely disappeared.

“That hasn’t changed; people are still terrified of me in one way or another,” she said.

The distinction between actor and character

Stone’s comments describe a recurring consequence of playing a culturally prominent villain: viewers and interviewers may carry impressions of the fictional character into encounters with the actor.

The reports do not establish that every journalist who interviewed Stone was afraid of her, nor do they provide independent accounts from those interviewers.

The account is Stone’s recollection of how press interviews were conducted and how interviewers responded after viewing the film.

A separate interview published earlier in September focused on a different aspect of the role’s impact.

In that interview, Stone said the character’s darkness attracted people who believed she resembled Tramell.

“Real dark people identified and came into my life thinking, ‘Oh, you really are like me,’” Stone said.

That earlier account and the new Variety interview both concern Stone’s experience of being associated with roles that present danger, manipulation or emotional control.

Why the comments matter now

The new remarks arrive more than three decades after Basic Instinct was released.

Stone’s comments indicate that the film remains a reference point in conversations about her public image and career.

Her explanation also frames the reaction in gendered terms, focusing on a woman who presents herself as independent rather than deferential.

Stone did not say that fear was the only response to the performance, and the interview did not quantify how many journalists reacted in that way.

Her wording instead presented the reaction as an enduring association between her and Tramell, the character she portrayed.

The recent coverage has therefore centered on Stone’s own account rather than on a new controversy involving the film.

Her central point was that a fictional portrayal can continue to shape how an actor is perceived long after the production has ended.

The video was posted to the White House’s official TikTok account on Wednesday, September 16, according to reporting published after Larsson’s response. The clip showed footage of ICE agents detaining people, placing them in handcuffs and transporting them in vehicles.

The post carried the caption “never ending deportations.” The wording appeared to reference the lyric “never ending midnight sun” from Larsson’s song.

Larsson responded in a video shared on her own social-media account. She described the White House video as “so dehumanising” and said it had left her “really sad.”

Larsson’s response

In the approximately three-minute response, Larsson objected to the presentation of people shown in the immigration-enforcement footage. “These people in this video, they’re real people,” she said, according to the BBC’s account of her remarks.

Larsson also said that most undocumented people are ordinary individuals with jobs who are seeking a better future. She criticized what she characterized as the treatment of immigration enforcement as a meme or joke and said the use of her song created division.

The singer explained that “Midnight Sun” was intended to express a connection between people, nature and the universe, rather than accompany footage of arrests and deportations.

At the end of the response, Larsson used profanity to insult those responsible for the White House post. The Hill reported that she called the White House’s social-media staff “f—ing losers.”

The song was removed, but the video remained

The song was subsequently removed from the White House TikTok post, while the video itself remained available on the account, the BBC reported.

The BBC said the video combined multiple clips involving ICE agents and other law-enforcement officials arresting people and placing them into vehicles. The Washington Times described the post as showing roughly a dozen men in handcuffs and leg restraints.

The White House did not immediately provide a statement to the BBC in response to questions about the video. No public explanation for the removal of the song was included in the BBC report.

A recurring dispute over music in political posts

Larsson’s criticism places her among musicians who have objected to the Trump administration’s use of their recordings in official social-media content.

The BBC reported that Larsson had previously criticized the use of her song “Lush Life” in a White House video featuring President Donald Trump dancing at public events. The outlet also reported that songs by Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo were removed from administration posts after objections from the artists.

Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande have likewise cautioned the administration against using their music in social-media videos, according to the BBC.

The dispute over “Midnight Sun” centers on the contrast between the song’s stated themes and the imagery selected for the White House post. Larsson said the song was about connection, while the White House video paired it with footage of immigration arrests and a caption promoting deportations.

The White House’s use of the track therefore prompted a public objection from the artist within a day of the post’s publication. The footage remained online after the song was removed, according to the BBC.

In a statement published Thursday on her official website, Streisand said she was indignant that the Kennedy Center had become the focus of “such a bitter struggle over one man’s name and unchecked ego.”

Streisand’s comments came after a federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center board from adding Trump’s name to the building’s facade and from renaming the surrounding grounds the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”

The dispute has combined questions about the center’s legal name, its governance, a proposed renovation and the future of programming at one of the United States’ most prominent arts institutions.

The Federal Court Ruling

U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled on September 15 that the Kennedy Center board could not install a memorial to Trump or otherwise place his name on the institution without congressional authorization.

“Simply put,” Cooper wrote, “Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing.”

The ruling rejected a proposal to add an inscription stating that the building had been “renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump,” as well as a plan to rename the campus surrounding the center.

Cooper had previously ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the building’s facade, finding that changing the institution’s official name required action by Congress.

The judge also criticized what he characterized as attempts by the board to use different wording to accomplish a result barred by the court’s earlier order and the governing statute.

Closure and Renovation Dispute

The court ruling was followed by a vote by the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board to close most of the performing arts venue.

The board’s action came only hours after the judge blocked the latest effort to place Trump’s name on the building.

The administration and the board have linked the closure question to a proposed renovation, while the court has examined whether the decision to shut the center was made independently and in accordance with the trustees’ responsibilities.

Reuters reported that Cooper had previously blocked an effort to close the institution for renovation, calling the decision “taken in dereliction of the trustees’ duty of prudence.”

The judge later indicated that the board could consider another closure if it made a “considered, independent decision.”

Trump has said the Kennedy Center could remain closed unless his name is permitted to appear in connection with the institution and its renovation plans.

Reports have also described Trump as warning that the center could be “ripped down” if his conditions concerning recognition and renovation were not met.

Streisand’s Connection to the Institution

Streisand wrote that she had been deeply honored to be included in the 31st annual class of Kennedy Center Honorees in 2008.

The Kennedy Center Honors recognize artists for contributions to American culture through the performing arts, and Streisand has been identified in coverage of the dispute as a former honoree of the institution.

In her statement, Streisand contrasted the current controversy with the center’s founding purpose and with former President John F. Kennedy’s association with artistic freedom.

She wrote that the Kennedy Center was intended to honor Kennedy and promote his belief that artistic achievement is important to a free society.

Streisand further stated that Kennedy believed society loses vitality when creative impulses are not allowed to flourish freely.

Her remarks addressed the institution’s cultural mission rather than presenting a legal argument about the court’s authority.

A Wider Institutional Conflict

The name dispute reflects a broader conflict over who has authority to determine the Kennedy Center’s identity and operations.

Congress established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, and the court has held that the board cannot unilaterally alter that memorial designation to honor another president.

The board’s proposals sought to distinguish between formally renaming the institution and adding language recognizing Trump’s role in renovation work.

Cooper rejected that distinction for purposes of the latest proposal, ruling that the inscription and plaza name could not proceed without congressional approval.

The court proceedings have unfolded alongside arguments over the center’s finances, renovation needs, public programming and the conduct of its board.

The closure vote has raised additional questions about whether the institution can continue performances and other public activities while the legal dispute remains unresolved.

As of September 18, the court had blocked the latest attempt to add Trump’s name, while litigation and disputes over the center’s closure and renovation plans continued.

Streisand’s intervention placed a prominent former honoree among the cultural figures publicly criticizing the handling of the Kennedy Center, but the court’s orders—not her statement—will determine the immediate legal limits on the board’s actions.

“I was so worried about him, but I thought he would get better and he would be that proof, like, ‘Look, people, you can change,’” Cosby told Vulture, according to People.

“But that was not the way he was supposed to go,” she said, adding, “People don’t leave unless it’s their time.”

Robert Jr., Cosby’s only child with her husband, Robert Cosby Sr., died in February at age 23.

People reported that Robert Jr. had documented his struggle with addiction on the Bravo reality series.

Cosby said she “went into shock” after her son’s death and that she was unsure whether the loss had fully registered emotionally.

“I still feel my son,” she said, describing a continuing spiritual connection and expressing her belief that he was safe and “away from danger.”

Cosby also described a sense of peace in her home following the death, while acknowledging that the family remained hurt.

“I think that it was for the good,” she said, according to People. “To this day, there’s a peace that lives in my house. It’s a peace that we didn’t have before. So we’re thankful but hurt, if that makes sense.”

Why Cosby Continued Filming

Cosby said she returned to filming RHOSLC three weeks after Robert Jr.’s death.

According to Cosby, producers offered to let her take a year away from the program, but she decided to continue working.

“ would want me to keep going,” Cosby said. “He would want me to shine. He’d want me to be the best I can be in whatever I’m doing in life.”

Page Six reported that Cosby characterized the decision as continuing “for son.”

She said she hoped viewers would recognize her strength during the new season.

“This could have killed me, and it should have killed me,” Cosby said, according to People. “It was designed to at least let me fall, and I didn’t.”

In the same interview, she said she was trying to accept that some circumstances cannot be changed and to continue moving forward while hoping to see her son again.

Family, Faith and the New Season

Cosby and Robert Sr. said after Robert Jr.’s death that their son had been “called home to the Lord” and that they took comfort in their belief that he was at peace.

Bravo reported earlier this month that Cosby said the loss brought her and Robert Sr. closer together.

“I had a really tragic thing happen in my life, but it brought my husband and I so much closer,” Cosby told Bravo Insider.

“I adore that man,” she said of Robert Sr., adding, “I thank God for him.”

Bravo said RHOSLC’s seventh season will depict Cosby’s healing journey, including support from her castmates and her focus on faith, marriage and moving forward after the loss.

The network’s season description says the cast members rally behind Cosby and set aside their conflicts to support her.

Season 7 premiered Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Bravo and is scheduled to stream the following day on Peacock.

Cosby’s comments place grief, addiction and family faith at the center of her return to a program that has previously shown her relationship with Robert Jr.

Her decision to film does not establish a universal model for grieving; it reflects the choice she said was right for her and the way she understood her son’s wishes.

For Cosby, continuing the series became part of how she described surviving the immediate aftermath of Robert Jr.’s death while honoring his memory.

The announcement follows leaked photographs from the production that showed Tomlinson on set, prompting viewers and fans to speculate that he had been cast as Dallas Kent. Entertainment Weekly reported that the images were circulated after being taken by paparazzi and bystanders.

Crave, the Canadian streamer that commissioned the series, and HBO Max, its U.S. distributor, have confirmed Tomlinson’s involvement and the change in the character’s name for the television adaptation.

The change means that the series will not use the name Dallas Kent for Tomlinson’s character, despite the role’s apparent connection to the character from Reid’s novels. Deadline described Cody Kent as a renamed version of Dallas Kent from the Game Changers series.

Who Is Cody Kent?

In the television series, Cody Kent is described as a former close friend and teammate of Troy Barrett, played by Charlie Gillespie. The character is connected to an accusation of sexual assault that causes a highly publicized rupture between the two men and contributes to Troy’s trade from the Toronto Guardians to the Ottawa Centaurs.

The role is separate from the central romance between professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. The first season followed the athletes’ secret relationship as they navigated competition, public expectations and their own understanding of their feelings.

The character’s storyline places Cody within a broader group of players and people around the hockey teams rather than at the center of Shane and Ilya’s relationship. Entertainment Weekly reported that Cody’s history with Troy is part of the conflict that leads Troy to leave the Toronto Guardians for the Ottawa Centaurs.

The sexual-assault allegation described in coverage concerns the fictional characters and storyline; the reports do not allege misconduct by Tomlinson.

Six New Cast Members

Tomlinson is one of six actors newly announced for season 2. Brendan Morgan will play Zane Boodram, Gerry Dee will play Coach Cooper, Michelle Mylett will play Lisa, Lauren Chan will play Gen, and Nick Stahl will play Curtis Barrett.

The newly announced characters are connected to several of the season’s major players. Coach Cooper is associated with the Guardians, while Lisa is identified as the wife of Wyatt Hayes, played by Robert Naylor. Gen works with Harris Drover, played by Justice Smith, on the Centaurs’ promotional team as a professional photographer.

Zane Boodram is described as a member and alternate captain of the Centaurs. Curtis Barrett is identified as Troy’s father. Entertainment Weekly described Curtis as homophobic and toxic, making him another source of conflict within Troy’s storyline.

People separately reported that Chan will play Gen, the photographer for the Ottawa Centaurs, and confirmed that Morgan, Tomlinson, Dee, Mylett and Stahl are also joining the second season.

Tomlinson is known for appearances in Fellow Travelers and Silent Night, while Mylett is known for Letterkenny. Morgan has appeared in The Handmaid’s Tale, Dee in Mr. D and Animal Control, Chan in Canada’s Drag Race and The Devil Wears Prada 2, and Stahl in Let the Right One In and Terminator 3.

A Growing Season 2 Ensemble

The six additions expand an already large season 2 ensemble. Previously announced performers include Williams, Storrie, Smith, Gillespie, Daniel Diemer, Shaheen Jafargholi, Naylor, Sophie Nélisse, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Edvin Ryding, François Arnaud, Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Robbie G.K., Callan Potter, Benjamin Roy, Kamilla Kowal, Emily Hampshire, Sabrina Jalees, Priyanka, Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross and Milla Jovovich.

The season is expected to continue the story of Shane and Ilya while introducing storylines involving Troy Barrett, Harris Drover, Wyatt Hayes and other characters from the wider fictional hockey world.

Earlier reports about the season included casting-call information that listed Dallas Kent among possible new characters. PinkNews reported in May that a leaked casting call named Dallas alongside Ryan Price, Fabian Salah, Eric Bennett, Harris Drover, Troy Barrett, Wyatt Hayes, Lucas Haas and Dr. Galina Molchalina.

That earlier material was not equivalent to an official casting announcement. The confirmed announcement now establishes Tomlinson’s involvement while clarifying that the television character will be called Cody Kent.

Release Plans

Heated Rivalry season 2 is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in spring 2027.

People likewise reported that the new season is expected to arrive in spring 2027 and will continue following Shane and Ilya.

The series is commissioned by Bell Media’s Crave, distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus and available in more than 130 countries, according to Deadline.

The announcement resolves the central question raised by the leaked photographs: Tomlinson is playing the Dallas Kent-inspired character, but the character’s name in the series will be Cody Kent.

The program is titled CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.

The special is scheduled to air Wednesday, October 21, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+ in the United States and internationally.

The program is expected to become available on Hulu the following day.

The CMA said the event will be filmed at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, Tennessee.

Format and Planned Content

According to the announcement, the event will combine live performances, archival footage and personal stories about Parton’s career.

The CMA described Parton as an artist, singer, songwriter, actor, humanitarian and entrepreneur whose work extended across music, film, television, publishing and philanthropy.

The announcement did not identify the complete lineup of performers or presenters.

The CMA also did not disclose a running order, the number of musical performances or whether any previously recorded appearance by Parton will be included.

Those details remain pending further production announcements.

The title references “I Will Always Love You,” the song Parton wrote and first recorded in 1973.

Whitney Houston’s 1992 recording of the song became one of the best-known versions of the composition after its inclusion in the film *The Bodyguard*.

The CMA’s selection of the title places Parton’s songwriting at the center of the tribute as well as her performing career.

A Broad Television Tribute

The planned CMA event follows several television tributes to Parton announced or broadcast after her death on August 25.

ABC announced Dolly Parton: An American Original — Special Edition of 20/20, a one-hour program scheduled for August 25, with streaming availability on Disney+ and Hulu.

CBS and Entertainment Tonight announced Remembering Dolly: A Rhinestone Life, a one-hour special that aired August 30 on CBS and was made available through Paramount+.

The Grand Ole Opry also dedicated an August 29 show to Parton, with the tribute livestreamed through the Opry’s online channels and carried by television and streaming partners.

The CMA production is distinct from those programs because it is planned as a two-hour live event produced by the organization most closely associated with country music’s industry awards and honors.

The event will also have an international distribution component through Disney+, according to the announcement.

Parton’s Place in Country Music

Parton’s career has included recordings, songwriting, acting, television appearances and business ventures.

Her songs have been recorded by artists in country, pop and other genres, giving the planned program a repertoire that extends beyond a conventional country-music retrospective.

Parton’s public work has also included the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, a program that provides books to children.

The newly announced special is therefore positioned to address more than Parton’s recording catalog, incorporating personal accounts and archival material about the wider span of her public life.

The CMA has not yet announced whether the broadcast will include a fundraising component, whether proceeds will benefit a Parton-related organization or whether the program will contain new performances of her songs.

What Viewers Can Expect

Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the event on ABC or Disney+ beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern on October 21.

International Disney+ availability was included in the announcement, although regional access and release timing may vary.

Hulu is scheduled to carry the program the next day.

The CMA’s announcement establishes the date, duration, title, distribution platforms and Nashville production site, while leaving the cast and detailed program structure to be announced.

The announcement was made in Dunham’s first-person account, titled “Lena Dunham Is a Mother! The Sweet, Singular Story of How She Prepared.” The essay focuses on her path to parenthood, her relationship with the surrogate and the birth of her daughter.

The child’s name has not been publicly disclosed.

Dunham wrote that her daughter was born in August, 13 days after her expected delivery date. She described the birth as taking place “in the face of a solar eclipse and a meteor shower.”

A long fertility journey

In the Vogue essay, Dunham wrote that she had spent 12 years “circling the fertility drain,” a phrase reported by The New York Times.

Dunham’s account describes surrogacy as the route through which she and Felber welcomed their daughter. Reporting by Page Six said the embryo transfer took place in November, based on details in the essay.

The identity of the surrogate has not been made public. Dunham wrote about being present during labor and expressed admiration for the woman who carried the pregnancy.

Dunham’s public discussion of fertility and reproductive healthcare follows earlier reporting about her own reproductive health. However, the new announcement centers on the birth of her daughter rather than providing a comprehensive medical account.

The birth

According to Dunham’s account, she was beside the surrogate during labor. She wrote that her attention was initially fixed on the surrogate’s experience and that she did not look down until she heard the baby cry.

Dunham described seeing her daughter for the first time and greeting her by saying, “Hello. I’m your mama.”

She also wrote that the baby did not look as she had imagined but was “exactly right,” according to excerpts published by Reuters and The Guardian.

The New York Times reported that Dunham described herself after holding the newborn as “bashful and dizzy with joy.”

Dunham and Felber

Dunham and Felber married in September 2021, according to Reuters and The New York Times.

Dunham is known for creating and starring in HBO’s Girls, as well as for her work as an actor, filmmaker and author.

Felber is a musician, and the couple’s daughter is their first child together.

The couple’s announcement comes as Dunham continues to promote her creative work while also writing publicly about a private and emotionally significant part of her life.

What Dunham has shared—and what remains private

Dunham has shared the broad circumstances of her daughter’s birth, including that the child was born via surrogate, arrived in August and was 13 days overdue.

She has not publicly identified the surrogate or announced the baby’s name.

The published accounts do not report additional medical details about the child, and no further information about the family’s future plans has been independently confirmed.

Dunham’s announcement therefore establishes three central facts: she and Felber have welcomed a daughter, the child was born through surrogacy, and Dunham chose a personal Vogue essay to describe the experience.

O’Donnell will temporarily replace Rachel Dratch, who is taking a short leave from the production and is scheduled to return on Tuesday, October 20.

The engagement will take place at Studio 54 in New York City, where the revival is currently playing.

The announcement was made by the production’s producers on Wednesday, September 16.

For O’Donnell, the appearance represents a return to Broadway after a long absence from the stage.

Playbill reported that the engagement will be O’Donnell’s return to Broadway after 21 years, apart from an appearance at the 68th annual Tony Awards in 2014.

O’Donnell’s Broadway Career

O’Donnell previously appeared on Broadway in Grease, Seussical and Fiddler on the Roof.

In Fiddler on the Roof, she played Golde opposite Harvey Fierstein’s Tevye in 2005.

Her Broadway credits also include playing the Cat in the Hat in Seussical and Rizzo in the 1994 revival of Grease.

O’Donnell also produced the Broadway musical Taboo, which opened in 2003.

More recently, she presented her one-person show, Common Knowledge, at the Daryl Roth Theatre Off Broadway in July.

Playbill reported that O’Donnell moved to Ireland full-time in 2025, making the October engagement a short return to the United States.

The Role of the Narrator

The Narrator guides audiences through The Rocky Horror Show, a musical written by Richard O’Brien.

Dratch has played the role during the current Broadway production and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as the Narrator.

The production’s current cast includes Lorna Courtney as Janet, Amber Gray as Riff Raff, Kevin McHale as Brad, Jimin Moon as Rocky, George Salazar as Eddie and Dr. Scott, Sherie Rene Scott as Magenta, Jake Shears as Frank-N-Furter and Valentina as Columbia.

Sam Pinkleton directs the revival.

The creative team also includes choreographer Ani Taj, music director and orchestrator Kris Kukul, set designer dots, costume designer David I. Reynoso, lighting designer Jane Cox and sound designer Brian Ronan.

A Revival With Queer Cultural Roots

The Rocky Horror Show follows Brad and Janet, a conventional couple whose encounter with the inhabitants of a mysterious house exposes them to a world of sexual and gender nonconformity.

The musical features the character Frank-N-Furter, a gender-nonconforming scientist, and songs including “Sweet Transvestite,” “The Time Warp,” “Dammit Janet” and “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me.”

The stage musical premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973.

It reached Broadway in 1975, where the initial production ran for three previews and 45 performances.

The property became more widely known through the 1975 film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which starred Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter, Susan Sarandon as Janet and Barry Bostwick as Brad.

The film developed a long-running participatory screening culture, with audiences often attending in costume and responding aloud to the movie.

Playbill described the property as having a continuing association with sexual and gender acceptance.

Broadway Run and Box Office Performance

The current Broadway revival began previews on March 26 and officially opened on April 23.

The production has extended its run twice, with tickets currently available through February 28, 2027.

The revival received nine Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Revival of a Musical.

The production also set a Studio 54 house record for the week ending June 28, taking in $1,215,225 at the box office.

The engagement gives audiences a limited opportunity to see O’Donnell perform the Narrator before Dratch resumes the role on October 20.

ABC announced Shum as part of the Season 35 celebrity cast on September 2, pairing him with professional dancer Jenna Johnson. The season’s two-night premiere began September 15 and was scheduled to continue September 16 on ABC and Disney+.

Shum is widely associated with dance-focused performances, including his role as Mike Chang on Glee and appearances in the Step Up film franchise. ABC’s cast announcement described him as an actor, dancer, producer and publisher, and identified him as a current star of Grey’s Anatomy.

Those credits prompted criticism from some viewers who argued that Shum, along with other contestants who have prior dance experience, could enter the show with an advantage over celebrities who have never performed professionally. The criticism focused on the distinction between a celebrity contestant’s previous dance training and the specialized ballroom and Latin techniques taught on the program.

Shum’s Response

Speaking with People at Good Morning America on September 2, Shum rejected the assumption that experience in one dance style automatically transfers to every other style.

“I think everyone’s idea is like, ‘Oh, you dance, so you should be able to dance anything,’” Shum said. “And I mean, that’s just not true.”

“There are hundreds of styles, not dozens, hundreds all over the world,” he added.

Shum acknowledged that he has a background in dance but said Johnson has a stronger understanding of the craft relevant to the competition. He characterized the partnership as an opportunity to work toward Johnson’s level rather than as evidence that he already possesses the same expertise.

In a separate interview reported by The Express, Shum described ballroom and Latin dance as “a whole new vocabulary” for him. He said Johnson was teaching him the techniques required for the show and that he was approaching the competition as a challenge.

The distinction Shum described is central to the dispute: his previous work demonstrates performance and dance experience, but it does not establish that he has professional-level training in every discipline represented on Dancing With the Stars.

The Judge’s Defense of the Cast

Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the show’s judges, also addressed complaints about contestants with previous dance experience.

Inaba said that moving from jazz, hip-hop or other dance forms into ballroom can require major technical adjustments, particularly in relation to weight placement. “What’s difficult—and I don’t think people realize this—is when you go from being a jazz dancer or a hip-hop dancer or all the other forms of dancing to ballroom, the weight placement is so different,” Inaba said, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Inaba’s comments placed Shum’s defense within a broader discussion about how the show evaluates celebrities who arrive with different kinds of performance experience. The issue also involved Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles, whose previous dance or performance backgrounds prompted similar questions from viewers.

Why the Debate Matters to the Competition

Dancing With the Stars pairs celebrities with professional dancers, who teach and perform choreographed routines across ballroom and Latin categories. The professional partners are responsible for choreography and instruction, while the celebrity contestants are judged on their execution, musicality, technique and performance during the season.

Because the celebrity lineup includes people with different levels and types of performance experience, comparisons between contestants are part of the program’s public discussion. However, the available reporting does not establish that Shum has an unfair competitive advantage, nor does it show that his prior dance work guarantees a particular result.

Shum’s own comments emphasized the limits of transferring experience between dance forms rather than denying his professional history. His position is that being comfortable with movement, choreography or performance does not mean being equally trained in ballroom and Latin technique.

The debate was still developing as the Season 35 premiere aired. Reports published after the premiere said the season had already reached its first elimination, although coverage also reported an ABC voting outage.

The Next Test

For Shum, the question is no longer only whether his casting is fair but how quickly he can adapt his existing performance skills to the show’s technical demands. His partnership with Johnson places that adaptation process at the center of his Season 35 storyline.

The evidence available from Shum, Inaba and ABC supports a narrower conclusion than either side of the online debate: Shum has significant experience as a performer and dancer, but the show presents ballroom and Latin dance as distinct technical disciplines that he must learn with Johnson’s instruction.