The Bachelorette’s Joey Graziadei won Dancing With the Stars season 33 on Nov. 26, 2024, though swaths of fans think the second runner-up, actor Chandler Kinney, should have taken the trophy.
Viewers impressed with Pretty Little Liars star Kinney were reminded of previous close but no cigar contestants, and believe there’s a throughline. “Zendaya, then Normani, now Chandler,” one DWTS fan wrote on X, presumably pointing out how many times Black women didn’t make it to the end of the competition.
Other viewers said Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong were “robbed” in the finale, and that it’s a common practice for the reality show to snub Black women competing. In particular, actor Zendaya and former Fifth Harmony band member Normani Kordei.
Zendaya competed in season 16 in 2013. She was partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy and placed second, with the mirrorball going home with Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough instead. She was a more than worthy opponent, with dance experience behind her and a natural stage presence, but she she couldn’t win in the end.
As for now-solo music artist Normani, she had the highest average score of all the season 24 contestants but finished in third place. Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings and his dance partner Emma Slater were crowned the champions.
Kinney’s backers have pointed to a particular performance featuring all-Black “pros,” which was named “best dance of the season” by more than one person on X, “Chandler and Brandon’s freestyle was incredible! A perfect score and a powerful tribute to history.” The actor seemingly made reference to it in her own post, which was written following the finale.
Kinney wrote, “So unbelievably grateful to have been a part of this show and to have created a moment that the DWTS ballroom had never seen before. A moment that was really important to me and hopefully so many people out there. Thank you endlessly for your love, it means so much.”
Armstrong and Kinney were the first Black coupling to reach the finale as a duo, and responses to her post echoed the sentiment from other fans. One replied, “Chandler, you were the most deserving of that trophy. You faced a lot of adversity this season and you overcame it every single week. That freestyle was so empowering and I wish it resulted in a win, but don’t let anyone dull your shine! You’re OUR winners.”
Other previous Black female finalists include Charity Lawson (season 32), Amber Riley (season 17’s winner), Mya (season 9), Mel B (season 5), and Laila Ali (season 4). Discussions surrounding potential snubs have floated on forums and the DWTS subreddit for years, with many loyalists casting doubts over whether some contestants deserved to place higher than they did. To this day, Riley is the only Black woman to win.
R&B singer and trained dancer Tinashe’s name is often brought up. She and Armstrong, who partnered with her in season 27, were the fourth couple to be eliminated from the show despite consistently high scores.
Many fans share a concerning feeling that Black women may be losing votes due to racism and misogynoir. Some feel that the community gaslights them by saying there is no such issue in the fandom.
Former contestant Lawson has also stated she believes her race affected the outcome. She said on the Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast, “The difference is that I have to go through this life as a Black woman and being on a reality TV show. It’s like the same things are just not protected.”
Reality TV is a high-pressure environment, and additional support such as access to therapists and social media filtering are two of several ways networks can protect cast members who are vulnerable to hate speech and bullying online. While Kinney hasn’t expressed any issues, it’s fair to say some fans think race factored in.