The most shocking elimination of season 28 on Dancing with the Stars happened when actor James Van Der Beek was sent home during week 10 of the competition. He and his dancing partner Emma Slater were eliminated after a significant drop in scores for their Cha-cha-cha, as well as a lack of fan votes.

During Van Der Beek's video package shown prior to his second dance of the night (a Foxtrot), it was revealed that his wife, Kimberly, had suffered a miscarriage earlier in the week. The Dawson's Creek star, who was expecting his sixth child, poured all of his emotions out onto the dance floor for his wife, but it ultimately wasn't enough to keep him in the competition.

Related: James Van Der Beek Says Dancing with the Stars Helped Him Deal with Miscarriage

This year, Dancing with the Stars changed the way votes are tabulated to determine who wins, introducing a new way for fans and judges' scores to impact how the stars were voted off. This new voting system has made for an interesting overall ranking of dancers. While it kept a lot of fan-favorites in the show, in some cases, that wasn't the case, allowing some less talented dancers to remain in the competition longer than expected.

James Van Der Beek’s Wife Kimberly Suffers Miscarriages Days Before His DWTS Elimination

Despite hovering at the top of the leaderboard for weeks on end, it wasn't enough to get Van Der Beek into the series finale. He was back for a few dance numbers, as is a tradition on Dancing with the Stars, but Dawson's Creek fans are no doubt disappointed in the show's results.

Having witnessed Van Der Beek's consistent improvement week after week, many people thought he was going to take the coveted Mirror Ball home. He had such a positive outlook throughout the entire competition, even during his family's tragedy. Despite his personal setback, he did his best in the ballroom. When all three pro-judges chose to keep Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke over Van Der Beek, fans everywhere were shocked. Even Brooke herself was shocked and tried giving up her spot in the finale to Van Der Beek, who she thought deserved it more. The tears flowed, but Van Der Beek stood strong despite it all, encouraging Brooke to carry on. While Van Der Beek won't be taking home the Mirror Ball this season, fans are glad knowing he can take time to heal in the arms of his family.

Next: Dancing With The Stars Judges Confused & Irritated About Show’s Results