Rumored ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Contestant Dashes Fans’ Hopes of Competing on Season 35

A celebrity that Dancing With the Stars fans thought was a lock for Season 35 is likely off the table.

Fans were speculating that America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders star Reece Weaver could be a potential contestant on DWTS in the fall, but she dashed any hope of that by announcing a big career move.

Weaver, 24, ended her DCC career after the 2025 football season. The fan-favorite announced her retirement in the Season 3 finale of America’s Sweethearts in June, leaving the door open for plenty of career opportunities — including a possible stint on DWTS.

That rumor was debunked when she announced this week that she’ll be starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway beginning on Sept. 7 and running for six weeks through Oct. 18. Due to the fact that Broadway and DWTS — which premieres on Sept. 15 — are both full-time commitments on opposite coasts, there’s no real shot that Weaver would be able to do both simultaneously.

She made the big Broadway announcement on Instagram. “Turning in the boots for Broadway,” she wrote in the caption.

“Friends!!!!!! Typing this sentence doesn’t even feel real,” she continued. “It is the greatest honor and privilege to have the opportunity to join the cast of @chicagomusical as ROXIE HART!!!!!! One of my biggest dreams as a performer was to one day be on Broadway and I cannot believe this dream has come to fruition. I am incredibly grateful to the cast of Chicago and @castingbyarc for believing in me.”

Though DWTS fans hoping to see Weaver in the ballroom this fall will be disappointed, there are still plenty of other cast members to be announced. The full cast announcement is coming on Wednesday, Sept. 2 on Good Morning America.

So far, Love Island and The Traitors star Maura Higgins, Summer House darling Ciara Miller, Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson and Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez have been confirmed as celebrities competing this season.

Polymarket traders are making bets on who else they think could compete. Love Island USA star Rob Rausch, who also starred on the same season of The Traitors with Higgins, is favored with 50% odds. Also with 50% odds is Ashtin Earle, the sister of DWTS Season 34 finalist Alix Earle — both of whom also happen to be starring in a reality show centered on their family later this year. Finally, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Miranda McWhorter has 43% odds from Polymarket bettors.

Traders are also already predicting who will win the season, despite the full cast still being shrouded in mystery. Higgins and Miller currently sit neck-and-neck, Higgins with 51% odds and Miller with 50%. Neither Olson nor Rodriguez were included in the spread.

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.

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