John Schneider Reacts to Surprising ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Elimination

John Schneider and his partner, Emma Slater, were eliminated in Monday night’s (Nov. 5) Dancing With the Stars episode, after scoring an impressive 25/30 for their jazz routine to John Denver’s “Thank God I’m A Country Boy.” While Schneider was hoping to win the mirror ball trophy, Schneider insists he is walking away happy.

“Not sad at all,” Schneider wrote on Facebook. “This was indeed one of the most wonderful experiences of my life! I feel like Emma and I are winners winners winners! My love to everyone who voted in [and] supported us during this amazing experience! Now continue to vote for my friends on dancing with the stars and I will do a live feed sometime in the next couple of days after I am rested up! Thank you again for this wonderful experience!”

As part of the country music-themed week, the Dukes of Hazzard star opened up about how important country music is to him.

“What country music means to me is it’s three chords and the truth and it shines a light on things that happen in everyday life that are wonderful, not so wonderful, and that are heart-wrenching,” Schneider said. “I’ve been going through a divorce now for four years and it’s awful. The worst part about it is that it’s wedged itself in between my three adult children and myself. Nothing I can do except hope one day one of my kids will call me up or show up. I look in the crowd every Monday thinking maybe tonight, maybe tonight.”

Time will tell whether Schneider achieved his ultimate wish by appearing on DWTS – getting people to think of him as more than just an actor.

“I’m trying to get people accustomed to the musician dancer guy instead of just the actor guy,” Schneider told The Tennessean. “It’s fun, but it’s a whole lot of work. And there was already a whole lot of work in our lives. It’s insane.”

Schneider is currently appearing in The Haves and the Have Nots, but says Dancing With the Stars allowed him to tap into another side of his creativity that he had not previously explored.

“It’s keying into a part of my spirit and my soul that I was really unaware of,” Schneider said. “It’s not just happy. It’s elation. It’s not just concern. It’s scared to death about what [host] Tom Bergeron is about to say. It’s living life on both sides of the pendulum at the same time. There’s no middle ground and at 58, I find that exhilarating.”

DeMarcus Ware and his partner, Lindsay Arnold, were also eliminated, in spite of earning an impressive 27/30 for their Viennese Waltz to Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Dancing With the Stars airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Monica Morgan