Luigi Mangione has become an overnight household name, to the point where people are now envisioning his potential venture into the world of reality television.
In case you somehow missed it (seriously, where the heck have you been?), Mangione is the key suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione’s arrest earlier this week in connection to the murder thrust him into the international spotlight, solidifying him as an internet sensation as scores of social media users either lusted after him or expressed sympathy for the apparent motive of his alleged crime.
Now during an unprecedented level of notoriety, the question has naturally been posed as to whether Mangione can appear on the show that gives everyone their 15 minutes of fame; Dancing with the Stars. The possibility was explored by X user Pat Regan (@poregan), who begged the question to her nearly 60,000 followers, “If Luigi is found guilty can he still be on Dancing with the Stars?”.
Given the show’s history of criminal castmates and its flair for stunt casting, it was only a matter of time before Mangione was theorized as a potentially ideal castmate for the reality competition series. Regan’s post garnered 18,000 likes, suggesting some interest in seeing the suspected killer bust out a few moves, but is Mangione’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars even possible? Well, at the risk of disappointing those who’ve thirsted after him, it seems highly unlikely.
Among others, Mangione was charged with second-degree murder which, if found guilty, would mean he isn’t eligible for parole until at least 15 years. DWTS has enjoyed an impressive 33-season run, but that makes Mangione’s potential appearance on the show feel either impossible or at the very best, a distant improbability — but that’s not to say his casting would be without precedent.
If you recall, criminal Anna Delvey was a castmate on DWTS’ most recent season (complete with a bedazzled ankle monitor), and the show has previously welcomed fellow castmates who’ve had brushes with the law like Theresa Guidice and Lil Kim. Coincidentally, it’s not the first time this year that someone presumably involved in a murder has been mentioned in discussions of DWTS’ casting. Erik and Lyle Menendez, two killers who also captured the thirst of the public, were reportedly being eyed by producers of the show in the event that they were freed from prison for the murders of their parents back in 1998.
Despite this, what seems more likely in terms of Mangione’s small screen presence is a dramatized adaptation of his story. Earlier this week, Ryan Murphy — the showrunner behind Netflix’s Menendez brothers drama — started trending as onlookers predicted an inevitable Mangione installment of his true crime series Monsters or American Crime Story.
Whatever the case, social media users appear enthusiastic about the possibility of Mangione’s DWTS debut, with one citing Delvey as reason for “hope” that Mangione will appear on the show.
Others said reports of Mangione’s chronic back pain might dash his hopes of featuring on the dancing competition, or named one convicted felon who was still granted access to a far more important position than the DWTS cast. “If he’s found guilty he can still be president apparently so yeah,” one user wrote.