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Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson said they are friends and have no bad blood after Olson apologized for a social media comment that drew criticism. Olson said they spoke privately and posted a video of them dancing together.
Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson say they remain friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment that viewers interpreted as disrespectful toward Rodriguez. Rodriguez, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! personality competing on Dancing With the Stars, said Tuesday that the two are enjoying the competition, while Olson said their relationship is genuine.
“We’re friends,” Rodriguez told TV Insider on Tuesday. “We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.” Olson, an infielder with the Savannah Bananas, also told the outlet that the pair are “truly friends.” The remarks followed a public apology Olson posted to Instagram earlier that day.
Olson apologized for a comment he had left under a TikTok video posted the previous week by the Loco Beach Coconuts, a Banana Ball team. The clip showed player Erik Ostberg recreating a dance Rodriguez performed with professional partner Witney Carson earlier in the season. Olson’s now-deleted comment praised Ostberg’s version and asked how he had done it better than Rodriguez with two hours of rehearsal. Some viewers took the remark as a slight against Rodriguez.
In his Instagram apology, Olson wrote, “To G and to all of you, from the bottom of my heart I am so sorry about my comment I made the other day and that it caused this much negativity.” The post included a video of Olson and Rodriguez dancing to Hannah Montana’s “Nobody’s Perfect.” Olson added, “I love this guy,” and said he hoped they could focus on dancing.
DWTS · The story behind the apology
Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson Say Apology Cleared the Air
After a social media comment drew criticism, Olson apologized, spoke privately with Rodriguez, and shared a video of them dancing together. Both say their friendship is intact as the competition continues.
01 / How the story unfolded
From a deleted comment to a public reset
A comparison of dance performances prompted online criticism. Olson said he wanted to address the reaction directly and make clear that the two contestants were not hostile toward one another.
Erik Ostberg recreated a dance Rodriguez had performed with Witney Carson on DWTS.
Olson praised Ostberg’s version. Some viewers read the wording as a slight toward Rodriguez.
Olson apologized on Instagram for his comment and the negativity it caused.
Olson described a private talk, then posted a video of the two dancing together.
02 / What each said
Both describe the relationship as friendly
Their statements provide a public account of the resolution. Olson described the private conversation; Rodriguez confirmed they remain friends while competing.
“He’s a good guy.”
Rodriguez told TV Insider they are friends, are enjoying the competition, and are having fun.
“I love this guy.”
Olson apologized to Rodriguez and viewers, and said he hoped they could focus on dancing.
A shared dance
Olson’s Instagram post included a video of the two dancing to Hannah Montana’s “Nobody’s Perfect.”
03 / In their words
Statements that set the tone
“We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.”Guillermo Rodriguez · TV Insider
“To G and to all of you, from the bottom of my heart I am so sorry about my comment I made the other day and that it caused this much negativity.”Jackson Olson · Instagram
“I went into his trailer and we talked for 30 minutes. We’re like, ‘Let’s clear the air and show people that we’re actually friends.’”Jackson Olson · TV Insider
“I love Guillermo, and I have loved him [since we met].”Jackson Olson · TV Insider
04 / What remains unknown
A public resolution, with limits
The original comment was deleted. The available reporting does not establish how many people saw it, how Rodriguez initially reacted, or how much of the comment’s wording the pair discussed in private. Olson’s account describes a roughly 30-minute conversation; no further details were reported.
05 / Quick answers
Key questions
What did Olson apologize for?
A now-deleted comment comparing Erik Ostberg’s recreation of a dance with Rodriguez’s performance. Viewers criticized the wording as disrespectful.
What did Rodriguez say?
He told TV Insider they are friends, are having fun competing, and that Olson is “a good guy.”
Did they speak privately?
Olson said he went to Rodriguez’s trailer and spoke with him for about 30 minutes to clear the air.
Are they still competing?
Both are identified as DWTS contestants and said they are competing against each other while remaining friends.
The Apology Resets Their Competition
The exchange addressed a brief social media controversy involving two contestants on the same reality competition. By publicly apologizing and appearing alongside Rodriguez, Olson sought to make clear that his comment was not intended as a personal attack. Rodriguez’s response likewise indicates that, at least from his account, the dispute has not damaged their friendship.
For viewers, the distinction matters because the comment concerned a comparison between a professional television performance and a recreation by another dancer. The online response turned that comparison into a question about the contestants’ relationship. Their statements and joint video provide a direct response, though they do not establish how every viewer interpreted the original remark or the apology.
Dancing With the Stars professional dance shoes
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How the TikTok Comment Drew Attention
The comment concerned a dance Rodriguez and Carson had performed on Dancing With the Stars earlier in the season. The Loco Beach Coconuts later shared a TikTok of Ostberg performing a version of that routine. Olson responded by complimenting Ostberg’s performance in a comment that was subsequently deleted.
Fans criticized the wording online, according to the Los Angeles Times. Olson then apologized on Instagram and discussed the matter with TV Insider. He said he went to Rodriguez’s trailer, where they spoke for about 30 minutes, and that they wanted to show people they were friends rather than hostile toward one another. The account of that conversation comes from Olson; no additional details about it were reported.
““We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.””
— Guillermo Rodriguez, speaking to TV Insider
portable dance floor for home practice
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What the Public Account Leaves Open
The exact exchange between Rodriguez and Olson in the trailer has not been reported beyond Olson’s description of a roughly 30-minute conversation. Rodriguez has said they are friends, but neither account details how he initially reacted to the comment or whether the two discussed its wording at length. The original comment has been deleted, and the available reporting does not establish how many viewers saw it before it was removed.
It is also unclear whether the episode will receive any further attention on the show or from the contestants. The comments support the conclusion that both men publicly describe the relationship as friendly; they do not provide a broader measure of fan opinion or show that all criticism has ended.
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The Competition Continues Onscreen
Rodriguez and Olson remain contestants on Dancing With the Stars, where they are competing while describing themselves as friends. Their next public appearances on the program may give viewers a chance to see how they interact after the apology, but no further statement or specific follow-up about the dispute has been announced.
For now, the public resolution consists of Olson’s Instagram apology, his account of a private conversation, and both contestants’ statements that they are friends. The remaining question is whether the issue fades as the season continues or returns in response to further discussion online.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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Key Questions
What did Jackson Olson apologize for?
Olson apologized for a now-deleted social media comment comparing Erik Ostberg’s recreation of a Guillermo Rodriguez dance with Rodriguez’s performance. Viewers criticized the wording as disrespectful.
What did Guillermo Rodriguez say about Olson?
Rodriguez told TV Insider that they are friends, are having fun competing, and that Olson is “a good guy.”
Did the contestants speak privately?
Olson said he went to Rodriguez’s trailer and spoke with him for about 30 minutes to clear the air. That account was given to TV Insider.
Are Rodriguez and Olson still competing on DWTS?
They are identified as contestants on Dancing With the Stars and said they are competing against each other while remaining friends. The reported comments did not announce any change to their participation.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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