Guillermo Rodriguez Claps Back At Dancing With The Stars Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Over Harsh Criticism Before Emotional Super Bowl Night Twist

Comprehensive Deep-Dive: Guillermo Rodriguez Claps Back at Carrie Ann Inaba on Dancing with the Stars During “Super Bowl Night”

1. The On-Air Clash and Back-and-Forth

• Calling Out the Judge: Before taking to the stage with pro partner Witney Carson to perform a salsa to Bad Bunny’s “Tití Me Preguntó,” Rodriguez jokingly confronted Inaba regarding her comments from “Mariah Carey Night,” where she questioned where his “joy” had gone following a difficult Samba routine.
• Inaba’s Response: After his performance—which earned a 22 out of 40—Inaba good-naturedly addressed the moment from the judges’ desk, asking, “Guillermo, did you just call me out? If you’re gonna call me out, you better bring the goods.”
• Delivering the Joy: Inaba ultimately acknowledged that he had risen to the challenge, praising his hard work and noting that he successfully brought the joy back to the ballroom. Guest judge Joe Buck and Derek Hough also commended his entertaining routine and unwavering effort.

  

2. Elimination and Night’s Outcome

• Despite the spirited back-and-forth and a noticeable step up in performance quality from the previous week, Rodriguez and Witney Carson ultimately fell short of the judges’ scoring threshold and were eliminated from the competition by the end of the night.