Zendaya Still Sore Over ‘DWTS’ Season: ‘I Felt That Loss’

Zendaya is still not over her Dancing With the Stars loss. Before the actress was known for projects such as Euphoria, Spider-Man, and Dune, she was making it big on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up and competed on the 16^th season of DWTS. She was partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy, and the two quickly became fan favorites throughout the season. Despite it seeming like they would take home the Mirrorball Trophy, they came up short and wound up in second place behind Derek Hough and Kellie Pickler.

Even though it’s been nearly 12 years since that season, the Emmy winner is “still harboring a little animosity about that,” she told W Magazine. “I felt that loss. I was only 16 years old, and it was highly stressful. Being on live television every week? It’s so scary. I took it very seriously, which, in retrospect, I wish I didn’t. I wish I’d enjoyed it a little bit more and just was like, ‘Eh, whatever.’ You know what I mean? But I was stressing myself out. I really went through it on that.”

At the time of Dancing With the Stars, Zendaya was nearing the end of Shake It Up’s three-season run as it came to an end in late 2013, and she was even working on her debut self-titled album, which was also released later that year. Having to deal with rehearsals and performances for DWTS as well and go live every week probably only added on to the stress. Then to come up just short of the Mirrorball is not the best thing. And to this day, Zendaya is not the only one still upset over it.

Since Zendaya was pretty stressed during DWTS and remains to be as busy as ever, it’s unlikely she’d want to return to the ballroom if another all-star season happened. But fans can still hope she eventually gets her much-deserved Mirrorball. As long as DWTS continue, there will always be controversial winners or surprising winners. Season 34 is set to premiere later this year, and there is no telling what pros will or won’t return and what celebrities will be vying for a chance to win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Meanwhile, Zendaya is continuing to take over both film and television. Production on the long-awaited and delayed third season of HBO’s Euphoria should be kicking off later this month, and the former Disney star is also set to star in the upcoming films The Odyssey, The Drama, and Be My Baby.