Johnny Weir Reacts to Shocking ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Elimination: ‘I Feel Horrific’

Johnny Weir is speaking out after being forced to hang up his dance shoes just shy of grabbing the Mirrorball Trophy. Monday night’s Dancing With the Stars semifinals featured a shocking double elimination, which saw the Olympic figure skater and his pro dancing partner Britt Stewart end their journey on the ABC dancing competition before getting the chance to reach the finals, with Weir admitting that the elimination felt “horrific.”

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight just after stepping off the stage for the final time, an emotional Weir, who said that he had been “crying for hours” after receiving lower scores, said that he “knew I was done as soon as we finished the salsa.” Knowing that, however, is “a hard pill to swallow,” he acknowledged, adding that he’s “an athlete and very human.”

After performing a salsa to “X” by the Jonas Brothers followed by a jazz dance to “I Lived” by One Republic, Weir and Stewart found themselves at risk of being eliminated, the duo having earned the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewers’ votes for the night. They were the first couple to be sent home, followed by Skai Jackson and partner Alan Bersten, who had performed their routine to “Move Your Feet” by Junior Senior followed by a Viennese waltz to “Lonely” by Noah Cyrus for a combined judges score of 57 out of 60.

Admitting, “I feel horrific” after being sent home, Weir said that he “gave everything that I had for this competition” and that despite not reaching the finals, he has “no regrets at all about the performances that we gave.” The figure skater said that “at the end of the day, it does come down to your scores from the judges as well as how the public sees you and if they choose to vote for you” and he would “100 times choose to be myself over being popular, and I think that that is a strong message that we have shown this whole competition.” Although he is sad to leave the competition early, Weir said that he has plenty to be thankful for: “best thing that has come out of Dancing With the Stars is Britt. We are bound now for life, and I will support her until I can no longer text.”

Heading into the finals, four celebrities remain: Nelly, Nev Schulman, Justina Machado and Kaitlyn Bristowe. The Dancing with the Stars Season 29 finale airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.