'DWTS' contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson confirm they are friends after apology
Published in Entertainment News
LOS ANGELES — "Dancing with the Stars" contestants Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson have confirmed there is no bad blood between them after the latter apologized for a comment he made on social media.
"We're friends," the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" star said Tuesday to TV Insider. "We're competing against each other, but we're friends. We're having fun. He's a good guy."
Olson, a Savannah Bananas infielder, confirmed to the outlet that he and Rodriguez are "truly friends."
The remarks follow Olson's public apology to Rodriguez for a comment he had made on social media that was perceived as disrespectful to the late-night TV star.
"To G and to all of you, from the bottom of my heart I am so sorry about my comment I made the other day and that it caused this much negativity," Olson wrote on Instagram earlier on Tuesday. The post included a video of he and Rodriguez dancing together to "Nobody's Perfect" by Hannah Montana.
"I love this guy," Olson's caption continued with a red heart emoji. "[N]ow let's do what this show is meant to be about.. DANCE ... ily G"
The baseball entertainer had come under fire for a since-deleted comment left under a video posted to TikTok last week by Banana Ball team Loco Beach Coconuts. The video featured one of the team's players, Erik Ostberg, recreating a dance performed by Rodriguez and pro partner Witney Carson earlier in the "DWTS" season.
"[H]ow did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehersal," Olson reportedly wrote in his comment praising Ostberg's performance. Fans on social media took offense to Olson's comment on Rodriguez's behalf.
"I love Guillermo, and I have loved him [since we met]," Olson told TV Insider after he apologized. "We've gotten close on the show. I went into his trailer and we talked for 30 minutes. We're like, 'Let's clear the air and show people that we're actually friends and are not malicious towards each other.'"
©2026 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.











Comments