Olivia Jade’s name has resurfaced in the news, but this time it’s due to her getting cast on Dancing With The Stars season 30, which fans have many mixed feelings about. A few fans are content with the show casting Olivia, a YouTuber and social media star, thinking her wrongdoings are behind her. In turn, other viewers think her spot is just another example of white privilege and facing no repercussions for her past behavior.
When Olivia was introduced on DWTS, she said, “I'm probably best known for being an influencer.” Alas, social media fans called her out and claimed that her digital presence isn't what she's best known for. In 2019, Olivia’s name became notorious for her part in the college admissions scandal. Due to the lying and bribery that her parents engaged in, the scandal put both of them in prison and caused her to lose her partnerships with brands like TRESemmé and Sephora. Olivia also became a victim of online shaming. Olivia hopes fans will see past her mistakes, but that didn't stop social media from still getting on her.
Some DWTS fans have been on Olivia’s side with her place on the show. People have pointed out how much fun she appeared to be having performing her first dance of the season, a salsa routine to the tune of “Juice” by Lizzo. “I'm glad she was able to put the controversy aside. She did an excellent job! She showed great enthusiasm and looked like she had fun!” one commenter said on YouTube. Alas, many fans took to Twitter to express their negative comments. In the end, these viewers end ended up getting Olivia’s name trending on Twitter.
This season, Olivia is paired with two-time champion Val Chmerkovskiy. Given that this is Val's 17th time competing on the show, he is a very popular Dancing With The Stars pro. Viewers have taken his pairing with Olivia as a sign that the producers will do whatever they can to keep her on DWTS as long as possible. The pair earned a score of 25 at the premiere, tied with competitors Pasha Pashkov and reality star Christine Chiu. During the show, the official Twitter account from DWTS tweeted that Olivia was shining and followed it up with, “Everybody, take notes.” Ironically, however, many tweets in the replies were not in favor of those initial remarks, with some fans saying she should learn to take notes like a real student. One viewer went as far as asking if Olivia's mother would pay for someone to take notes for her, writing: “Take notes on what? Cheating?”
This is not the first time a controversial figure has been a contestant on the show, as some have pointed out. There have been problematic celebrity dancers with an unfair DWTS advantage due to their dance experience, while others were infamous for the trouble they had run into in the past. Carole Baskin, Tonya Hardin, and Ryan Lochte were a few examples of Dancing With The Stars celebrities to make viewers question the casting process.
Olivia Jade might not be the only person to gather controversy on Dancing With The Stars, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t upset with her competing. Her partner Val might be a fan-favorite but in his 17 seasons, but he has been eliminated early in the competition more than once. Overall, his partnership with Olivia might do her some favors in the competition, but if Olivia's dancing isn't up to par, then social media users might just get their wish of seeing her go home.
Source: DWTS/Twitter, @mom22ems/Twitter, @reallyneatnate/Twitter, @tidditat/Twitter, @nealon35/Twitter