For Lauren Alaina, Dancing With the Stars was a way to heal her broken heart after splitting from Christian comedian John Crist. Alaina's ex is currently embroiled in a #MeToo scandal, involving alleged inappropriate behavior towards his female fans.
Alaina and Crist ended their relationship back in September 2019, just two months before the sex and exploitation allegations forced him to cancel tour dates in support of his stand-up comedy. Alaina alluded to the allegations during the November 11th episode, when she told host Tom Bergeron that she'd had a bit of a bad day prior to that week's show. Alaina previously discussed her relationships with Crist as well as one-time fiancé Alex Hopkins on The Bobby Bones Show earlier in 2019. Coincidentally, Bones won season 27 of Dancing With the Stars.
Alaina has been candid about many of the details of her life since joining the competition in season 28. She requested prayers from viewers following the hospitalization of her cousin, she danced to honor her late stepfather and has remained true to her down-home roots by performing at the famed Nashville venue Tootsie's, during the October 7 episode. As for her love life, DWTS was the perfect opportunity to avoid the pain of separation. She revealed (via People), "I went through a breakup two weeks before I came on this show." She explained, "Kind of a crazy time, but being on Dancing with the Stars has been the perfect recipe for healing my broken heart. This show has been like my new boyfriend. I’m dating Dancing with the Stars and it’s going great."
So far, DWTS has had the most transformative experience on Alaina. Since the start of the season, she's lost 25 pounds. She also pushed through the pain when she performed with broken ribs during the Halloween episode. As her time on the show progresses, Alaina continues to gain confidence in herself, as well as her dance skills. Much to her credit, the shocking allegations surrounding Crist have done little to undermine her success. In early November 2019, Charisma News broke the story that five women - whose names were substituted with pseudonyms by the religious news outlet - came forward with accusations about Crist. Some of the women alleged that he requested sexual favors for tickets to his shows. Some complained about his penchant for sexting, while others took him to task for acting in opposition to his Christian persona.
There's a good possibility that Alaina was aware of the behaviors of her ex-boyfriend. Given the reports of his alleged harassment, exploitation, and manipulation of women, Crist probably left an easily discoverable trail. Alaina's short relationship with Crist allowed her to see what worked for her and what didn't. Ultimately, they parted ways in the nick of time. Channeling her angst into Dancing With the Stars has benefited the singer, as Vegas has her pegged as the odds-on favorite to win the competition. If she does emerge victoriously, she'll be able to replace her pain and embarrassment with a shiny Mirror Ball trophy and a probable career boost.
Dancing With The Stars airs Mondays at 8pm EST on ABC.
Source: People