Carrie Ann Inaba Pays Respects To Late ‘DWTS’ Cast Member
Carrie Ann Inaba has been a judge on Dancing With The Stars since the show first began. Over the course of 30 seasons, she’s seen many cast members come and go. However, it’s still incredibly painful when a tragedy befalls a member of the DWTS family.
This week, Carrie Ann is choosing to pay her respects to a previous DWTS contestant that recently passed away. Keep reading to see what the judge had to say.
Carrie Ann Inaba remembers the late singer Aaron Carter fondly
The team at Dancing With The Stars really seems to be a close-knit family. Everyone spends a significant amount of time together in the ballroom, so it’s hard not to develop close friendships with one another.
The DWTS team already mourned the death of actress Anne Heche this summer. But now, another former contestant has passed away.
Singer Aaron Carter appeared in Dancing With The Stars Season 9, all the way back in 2009. He and his partner Karina Smirnoff finished in 5th place out of 15 couples. Tragically, the singer lost his life Saturday at the young age of 34. Before 90s Night officially kicked off this week, hostess Tyra Banks took a moment to honor Aaron and remind fans that he was part of the DWTS family.
After the episode ended, ET caught up with judge Carrie Ann Inaba to discuss Aaron Carter’s passing.
“I saw the news, and I was shocked,” she told the publication “It’s a true tragedy because he was just very innocent, to me, it’s like an innocent, young child. And when he was on the show, he was like a child just kind of becoming a man.”
The singer was 22 years old when he competed on DWTS. He seemed to get along well with many of the others on the set.
“I will always remember him for being this beautiful, bright light that seemed really misunderstood. And I felt like on Dancing With the Stars, he had this moment where people could see him in his fullest sense,” Carrie Ann continued. “He was shining and he was free. And he was starting new chapters. And I’ll always remember that about him. He is somebody who sits right here in my heart and I think of him all the time.”
Dancing With The Stars Season 31 has just a few weeks left
The DWTS Season 31 semifinals are next Monday night. The competition is down to the top six couples. Only four will advance to the finale the following Monday night. Carrie Ann Inaba and her fellow judges are going to be much stricter as the competition comes down to the wire.
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