Jackson Olson Jokes About Being ‘Canceled’ After His ‘DWTS’ Apology

Jackson Olson is using humor to revisit the backlash over a deleted comment about fellow Dancing With the Stars contestant Guillermo Rodriguez, days after apologizing and saying the two had cleared the air privately.

In an October 11 TikTok, the Savannah Bananas player joked that he had been “canceled” while acting out another mock setback with dance partner Emma Slater. The lighthearted clip arrived after a week in which his original remark drew criticism from viewers who believed it mocked Rodriguez’s dancing.

The comment that sparked the backlash

The dispute began under a video of another athlete recreating Rodriguez and Witney Carson’s foxtrot. Olson wrote a since-deleted comment asking how the new performance had been done better with only two hours of rehearsal.

TV Insider reported that Rodriguez had received the lowest judges’ score of the night for the routine but remained in the competition through audience votes. Screenshots of Olson’s message spread before it was removed, prompting fans to accuse him of disrespecting a castmate.

Olson then issued a public apology, saying he had not intended to create negativity and that he took responsibility for the remark. He also said he visited Rodriguez’s trailer for a longer conversation so they could settle the matter directly.

Rodriguez says the friendship is intact

Rodriguez later told TV Insider that he and Olson remained friends despite competing against each other. Olson similarly said the exchange was not malicious and that both men wanted viewers to understand there was no continuing feud.

E! News reported that Olson’s new video showed Slater leaving rehearsal with her boyfriend, fellow professional dancer Alan Bersten, as the trio played up a dramatic farewell. Olson paired the joke with his team’s Banana Bowl loss, presenting the week as a comic run of bad luck.

The follow-up does not erase the original criticism, but it changes the immediate context: Olson apologized, Rodriguez publicly accepted that the friendship remained intact, and both contestants have continued promoting the show rather than escalating the dispute.

For a competition series driven partly by fan voting, social-media reactions can quickly become part of the contest itself. Olson’s response suggests he is trying to acknowledge the viral moment without turning it into a lasting rivalry with Rodriguez.