Danielle Fishel Breaks Her Silence on Viral Dancing with the Stars Moment with Whitney Leavitt

Danielle Fishel is addressing her seemingly contentious interaction with Whitney Leavitt on the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars. 

After Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong were eliminated in week 3 of DWTS, fans noticed an awkward moment while the cast gathered on the dance floor to say goodbye.

In the now-viral clip, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 32, was spotted laughing to Fishel, 44, and seemingly celebrating the fact they made it through elimination and would continue on the show.

However, Leavitt’s reaction quickly changed when speaking to Fishel, whose back was to the camera, after she appears to say something. Leavitt then changed her expression to a straight face.

Later that week, TMZ caught the Boy Meets World alum leaving rehearsal and asked if she “put Whitney in her place” or felt that her cheerfulness “was a little tone deaf” in the wake of the elimination news.

“No,” Fishel replied. “It’s a roller coaster of emotions. We can be happy for ourselves and our friends that were safe and also sad that somebody is gone.”

“So I definitely did not put her in her place, but I just went to go comfort my friend,” she added, referring to Jauregui.

Jauregui’s Sept. 30 elimination sent shockwaves through the ballroom and among viewers after Andy Richter and Elaine Hendrix, who were part of the other two couples at risk to go home, were determined to be safe.

When the Fifth Harmony singer, 29, was asked how she was feeling about being out of the competition, she responded with a smile and one word: “Pissed.”

Her pro partner Armstrong laughed at the one-word answer before she told him, “I’m so grateful to have had you as a partner.”

Jauregui and Armstrong’s final performance was a cha-cha to “Work From Home” by her group Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign, for which they earned an 18/30 from the judges.

While talking with PEOPLE after the show, several cast members reacted to the news and Jauregui’s response. 

“I am so obsessed with Lauren because of that,” Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying said. “She is so honest, she’s so true to herself. She is confident, she’ll tell it like it is. But she is the first person in the room that will make sure everyone’s heard, everyone’s seen. She’s an empath. I adore her.”

“She has a perfect soul,” he gushed, going on to say that he is “inspired” by Jauregui and truly thought she was “gonna win.” If he had to sum up his feelings about seeing her go, Hoying would say, “I am gagged.”

“I’m so shocked, and it’s really, really sad because she was really invested,” he continued. “She puts her heart into everything.”

Hoying’s partner, Rylee Arnold, echoed his sentiments, calling the Miami native a “kind soul.”

“I love Lauren,” the pro shared. “She’s just such a kind soul, and she’s been such a good friend to us at rehearsals and then somebody that you can just talk to and just be vulnerable with. The competition is really gonna miss her, and she was also so talented.”

“When they said her name, genuinely my jaw was dropped for a long time,” Arnold admitted. “I couldn’t believe it, like actually. It’s crazy.”

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Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and simulcast on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.