In the wise words of Taylor Swift, it sounds like Dancing With the Stars season 33 contestant Ilona Maher was on some serious “Vigilante S**t” yesterday (Oct. 27), not only protecting her own life, but also protecting the lives of those around her during an evening outing that went awry.
For those who are unfamiliar, Ilona is an Olympic rugby player, earning a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside the United States women’s national rugby sevens team. Aside from her athletic prowess, she has become a social media sensation, posting hilarious videos to her TikTok account and amassing a whopping 2.9 million followers.
Now, she is trading in her cleats for some dancing shoes, competing for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing With the Stars alongside her professional dance partner, Alan Bersten. Their scores for the season are as follows:
DWTS Premiere — Cha Cha to “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” by Shania Twain (18/30)
“Oscars Night” — Salsa to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing (21/30)
“Soul Train Night” — Foxtrot to “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle (30/40)
“Hair Metal Night” — Jive to “Cum On Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot (26/40)
“Dedications Night” — Rumba to “My Way” by Yseult (32/40)
“Disney Night” — Jazz to “Surface Pressure” from Encanto (25/30)
With “Halloween Nightmares Night” airing tomorrow (Oct. 29), it is safe to say that Ilona was getting all dolled up for her routine — which will be a Tango to “Psycho Killer” by Miley Cyrus — hitting the nail salon for a pedicure yesterday. This is where things got spooky for the Olympic rugby player…
Prefacing the story, Ilona shared that she arrived at the nail salon about an hour before closing time, and there were no customers present besides herself and another man, both receiving pedicures. After her pedicure was finished, the employee asked her to sit and wait in the chair for a little while longer, which ended up being “an extra half hour, or 25 minutes from when it was all done.” It was not until the man left the salon that they finally let Ilona leave as well, and there is a clear reason why:
“They said, ‘Sorry we kept you so long. We just wanted you to be here with us while he was there,’ and I was like, I totally understood why they did that. It’s a crazy world out there.”
After learning that she was held at the salon for so long for safety purposes, Ilona then encountered the man firsthand:
“As I’m walking out, the guy looks me in the eye and says, ‘Can I go home with you?’ and then I’m like ‘No’ and he says, ‘Why not?’ I just keep walking. It’s insane out there.”
She concluded the TikTok video with a message to her followers, especially her female followers:
“I want you to know you can keep me for as long as you want. You can keep me for another hour. I’ll cancel my plans if you want me for safety or you want somebody there, just to be a presence. It’s dangerous out there… Stay safe, ladies. Travel together. Do your thing.”
Naturally, Dancing With the Stars fans were grateful that Ilona was safe, simultaneously praising her kindheartedness and overall character in the comment section of the video:
“THIS! Is the definition of a ✨girls girl✨”
“I suspect this is his ‘trick’ 😡 Late appointment, last in the salon… Glad you were all ok 🥰”
“Oh hun! You’re not just ‘a presence’ you are RIPPED, yet you have the sweetest soul. Anyone would want you around ❤️”
While it was quite the hassle, Ilona now has a fresh pedicure, ready to slay the day during “Halloween Nightmares Night” on Dancing With the Stars. To see her soon-to-be spectacular routine for yourself — as well as her dance-off with NBA player Dwight Howard — tune into ABC or Disney Plus at 8pm ET/PT, or stream the episode the following day via Hulu.
From then on, be sure to mark your calendars, because brand-new episodes of Dancing With the Stars will air every Tuesday afterwards. Fingers crossed Ilona and Alan continue in the competition!
Published: Oct 28, 2024 06:06 pm