Bonner Bolton Explains ‘Unintentional’ NSFW Grab of Partner Sharna Burgess on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Things got a little NSFW during the Dancing With the Stars premiere Monday night when bull rider, Bonner Bolton appeared to grab his partner Sharna Burgess in the shorts while in the background of a camera shot, quickly sparking fan reaction as well as romance rumors.

While host Erin Andrews was interviewing Nick Viall and Peta Murgatroyd, cameras caught Bolton’s hand sneaking around Burgess’ waist and landing in between her legs before she quickly removed it.

Bolton explained the moment to Entertainment Tonight, calling the grab “unintentional.”

“I was just stargazed by Nick and Peta’s performance and I was looking at the TV screen,” he said. “I felt her bump into me yet I wasn’t really looking at what was bumping into me.”

“There was some hand placement that went south, so to speak,” he continued, stressing that the moment was “totally unintentional.”

Burgess later addressed the grab on Twitter, calling Bolton a “true gentleman.”

“Anyone who has the ridiculous idea that it was intentional…is straight up stupid,” she wrote. In another tweet, she adds that “is a true gentleman and absolutely would never. It was an innocent accident.”

Although the moment was accidental, the pair’s chemistry was instantly noticeable as they tore up the dance floor with their first number, wowing the judges with their strong connection. Speaking to PEOPLE earlier this week, the duo admitted they share an “obvious chemistry.”

“I was telling her before we started tonight, ‘I can’t look at you for too long. I might get distracted. That’s why I might miss some of my steps,’” Bolton said. “She’s obviously beautiful.”

Burgess said that while they do have a connection, her focus is on the competition.

“Oh gosh,” she told reporters. “I am a professional. Look, we have a lot of chemistry and we have a lot of fun, but first and foremost we are trying to do a really great job in this competition. I want Bonner to be around until the end and I want to take this man to the finale. That is our priority. Everyone is making a lot of our really obvious chemistry.”

#TeamDenimNDiamonds will be back on the dance floor next week.

[H/T / Twitter / @etnow]

This story first appeared at Womanista.