Dance Feud Sparks Apology
Derek Hough Defends Julia Stiles Against Andy Cohen on Dancing With the Stars
Anonymous
Key Points
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Cohen made the original remark during a September 2025 episode of his SiriusXM program, Radio Andy, while interviewing Kerry Washington, who immediately defended her former Save the Last Dance co-star.
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Before performing, Stiles and Ezra Sosa joked that they would win the Mirrorball Trophy and then sit on Cohen’s couch to confront him, turning the criticism into a specific competitive goal.
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Stiles advanced to the following week after the premiere, despite having no professional dance training; her dance background largely comes from memorable film performances, including Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You.
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The performance was a quickstep, an energetic ballroom style characterized by gliding and bouncing movements, and Stiles celebrated with a fist pump while Sosa echoed Hough’s “Eat it!” message to Cohen.
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Cohen’s dance reputation had already been a subject of online mockery: a video of him dancing at a Dead & Company concert went viral on TikTok in 2024 and reportedly surpassed one million views, after which he reposted it with the message, “TAKE ME BACK!”
Julia Stiles turned Andy Cohen's 2025 dig at her dancing into fuel for her Dancing With the Stars debut, earning an 18 out of 30 for a quickstep to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" on September 16, 2026. Judge Derek Hough delivered a blunt on-air response to Cohen, saying "you can eat it," while praising Stiles' performance as beautiful and graceful. Cohen later apologized on Watch What Happens Live, naming himself the show's "Jackhole" and admitting he was unqualified to critique anyone's dancing.
Stiles said the criticism was "imprinted in my brain" when Cohen questioned her dancing skills during a September 2025 Radio Andy interview with Kerry Washington, who immediately defended her Save the Last Dance co-star. Performing Dolly Parton's song held special meaning — Stiles received approval to use it shortly before the country icon's recent death.
Cohen's Viral Dance Video Became His Weakness
Andy Cohen has no room to judge anyone's dancing. A video of him dancing awkwardly at a Dead & Company concert went viral on TikTok in 2024, racking up over one million views. Cohen later reposted it himself with the caption "TAKE ME BACK!" — essentially admitting the world had mocked his moves online.
Hough Shut Down the Criticism On Live Television
Derek Hough wasted no time defending Stiles during the September 16 Dancing With the Stars premiere. After Stiles performed the quickstep, Hough looked directly at the camera and told Cohen: "You can eat it!" He then praised Stiles' movement as "beautiful" and "graceful," signaling judges were united in her favor. Fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli also rallied around her performance.
Cohen Apologized the Same Night and Gave Himself a Title
Cohen appeared on Watch What Happens Live later that evening and publicly apologized to Stiles. "Julia, I am so sorry," he said. "I am the last person who should be giving anyone feedback on their dancing." He then named himself the episode's "Jackhole of the Day" and joked that viewers could flood his inbox with grievances, even replaying his viral concert video as proof of his own two left feet.
Stiles Never Trained as a Professional Dancer Before This
Stiles has no formal ballroom dance background. Her dance credentials come entirely from iconic movie moments — a hip-hop sequence in Save the Last Dance (2001) and a memorable routine in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). She said past public expectations after Save the Last Dance actually made her avoid dance classes for years. Her partner, Ezra Sosa, helped her turn Cohen's skepticism into motivation before their first performance.
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