Former NFL star and Hall of Famer Ray Lewis has dropped out of Dancing With The Stars, a week after he was in the bottom two. A source close to Lewis and pro dancer Cheryl Burke told Entertainment Tonight the two have left the show after Lewis sustained an injury It is not clear what Lewis’ injury is, and ABC has not yet commented.
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Lewis might have teased he was rethinking his commitment to the show with an emotional Instgram post published over the weekend.
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“Don’t get me wrong- I understand the grind- the effort and commitment it takes is unparalleled. But when you finally level up what else will be left? Did you cut off your friends and family or sacrifice your mental health?” Lewis wrote in the caption. “Make time for what matters. Take care of yourself. Mind, Body, and Spirit. #NoExcuses.”
Burke’s own recent Instagram post also raised some eyebrows. She is seen in her trailer, looking off into the distance. Her caption made no reference to Lewis.
“Hair courtesy of @kelseygusto, glam courtesy of @crabichuk, deep thought courtesy of the upcoming live show,” she wrote.
Without Lewis, the roster of DWTS contestants is down to Lamar Odom, Ally Brooke, Lauren Alaina, Karamo Brown, Hannah Brown, Kate Flannery, Sailor Brinkley-Cook, Kel Mitchell, James Van Der Beek and Sean Spicer.
Last week, Lewis was one of the two bottom vote-getters, despite a decent performance on the dance floor. Lewis and The Supremes singer Mary Wilson were the last two, but the judges chose to eliminate Wilson.
Lewis is the second contestant to drop out of the show due to injury this season. Just days before the premiere, supermodel Christie Brinkley had to drop out after hurting her arm. She was replaced by her daughter, Brinkley-Cook.
There was a conspiracy theory that Brinkley did not injure her arm, and this was just a publicity stunt to get her daughter more attention. However, Brinkley recently shared a new photo of her injuries to shut down the haters.
“It goes against my better judgement to acknowledge haters and conspiracy theorists but because this involves my precious daughter I’m setting the record straight,” Brinkley wrote on Instagram. “It’s sad that we live in a time where the truth is not as scintillating as hurtful lies. If it was just me I would have let this roll right off my back, but on [National Daughter Day] feel it’s the perfect opportunity to stand up for truth.”
DWTS airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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