Julia Stiles tears up in ‘DWTS’ rehearsals over low scores, rib injury

Julia Stiles is pushing through the pain and pressure of the “Dancing With the Stars” competition.

The “Save the Last Dance” actress broke down in tears during a pre-recorded rehearsal package before her performance on Tuesday night’s episode when pro partner Ezra Sosa asked her how she was feeling about the previous week.

“I’m actually just really disappointed in myself,” she said of their “Viral Hits Night” Tango to “The Door” by Teddy Swims last week. “That was not my best dance.”

The judges critiqued the performance and gave the duo two 5’s and a 6, for a total score of 16/30.

“It’s all fun and games until you get a 5,” Stiles said in a confessional. “And I respect those judges a lot, so I take what they say seriously. So, yeah, here I am — in tears on TV. Sorry!”

Stiles also explained how different this experience is for her when compared to acting while chatting with Sosa.

“I’m an actress,” she said. “I’m used to having a script. The director and the editor protect you, and your performance is done before people see it. But this is just me. Very vulnerable.”

Sosa responded by saying he’s “so proud” of Stiles for opening up and vowed to “keep pushing through it together.”

Later in rehearsal, Stiles complains of her rib hurting while she and Sosa are practicing their Salsa to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Hall & Oates for “Yacht Rock Night.”

“My rib really hurts and we kind of popped it,” she tells the camera, clearly in visible pain. “This is a really tough week to hurt your rib, because there’s lifts and tricks.”

However, the “10 Things I Hate About You” actress vowed to give it her all, saying, “But I also know I’m a tough cookie, and I’m not going to let it stop me.”

After their latest routine, the duo received rave reviews from the judges, with Bruno Tonioli saying they “didn’t make any errors” and Carrie Ann Inaba applauding Stiles for giving herself “permission to let go.”

“Julia is back, baby,” Derek Hough added.

The judges gave them two 6s and a 7, for a total score of 19/30.

Stiles told co-host Julianne Hough she was “feeling good” after the dance and gave Sosa credit for “pulling” her off the “struggle bus” she was on last week.

The actress also addressed how “quiet” she and Sosa have been on social media since last week.

Despite wild fan theories populating TikTok over the past week — including that there had been tension between the pair or that Stiles had even quit the show — the duo explained that they were fully focused on their performance in the ballroom this week.

New episodes of “DWTS” will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and will stream on Hulu the following day.

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