After Apology, Guillermo Rodriguez And Jackson Olson Say Their DWTS Friendship Is Back
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Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson said their friendship remains intact after Olson apologized for a social media comment that fans viewed as disrespectful. Olson said the two spoke privately, while Rodriguez described them as friends who are enjoying the competition.

Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson said they remain friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing that drew criticism from fans. Rodriguez, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! personality competing on Dancing With the Stars, said the pair are enjoying the competition, while Olson said they are “truly friends.”

Rodriguez told TV Insider on Tuesday that the two contestants have no personal dispute. “We’re friends,” he said. “We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.” Olson, an infielder with the Savannah Bananas, also told the outlet that their friendship is genuine.

The comments followed Olson’s Instagram apology earlier Tuesday. He apologized to Rodriguez and to people who reacted to his remark, saying he was sorry it had caused “this much negativity.” The post included video of the two dancing together to Hannah Montana’s “Nobody’s Perfect.” Olson’s caption said he loved Rodriguez and encouraged viewers to focus on dancing.

The disagreement began with a comment Olson left beneath a TikTok video posted the previous week by the Banana Ball team Loco Beach Coconuts. The clip showed player Erik Ostberg recreating a dance Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson had performed on DWTS. Olson wrote, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal?” The comment has since been deleted. Fans on social media criticized it as disrespectful to Rodriguez; that reaction was theirs, not a statement by either contestant that a personal feud existed.

At a glance
updateWhen: October 7, 2026
The developmentThe Dancing With the Stars contestants publicly addressed Olson’s apology and said there is no bad blood between them.
After Apology, Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson Say Their DWTS Friendship Is Back

Dancing With the Stars · Relationship Update

After Apology, Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson Say Their DWTS Friendship Is Back

A deleted comment drew fan criticism. After speaking privately and apologizing publicly, both contestants say their friendship remains intact as they compete.

“We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends.”

Guillermo Rodriguez · TV Insider
~30 minPrivate conversation, Olson said
2Contestants say they are friends
UpdateOctober 7, 2026
The apologyPosted on Instagram
The relationshipFriends, still
The settingDWTS competition
At a glance

A public remark, a private conversation, a clear message

Both men addressed the reaction directly. Neither described an ongoing personal dispute.

01 · What happened

A dance comparison

Jackson Olson commented on a clip of Erik Ostberg recreating a routine by Rodriguez and Witney Carson. His comparison drew criticism from fans.

02 · What followed

An apology and a talk

Olson apologized on Instagram, then said he visited Rodriguez’s trailer. They spoke for about 30 minutes and agreed to clear the air.

03 · Where it stands

Friends in competition

Rodriguez said they are friends and having fun. Olson also described their friendship as genuine and said they had grown close on the show.

How the story unfolded

From a short comment to a public reset

The reported sequence connects the online reaction with the contestants’ own account of their relationship.

1

Dance clip posted

Loco Beach Coconuts shared Ostberg’s take on a DWTS routine.

2

Comment draws notice

Olson compared the recreation favorably with Rodriguez’s performance. The comment was later deleted.

3

Olson apologizes

He said he was sorry to Rodriguez and others for the comment and the negativity it caused.

4

Both confirm friendship

They spoke privately and separately told TV Insider they remain friends.

What the statements say

Their words, in their own terms

The public update comes from comments to TV Insider and Olson’s Instagram apology.

“We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.”

Guillermo Rodriguez · TV Insider

“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.”

Jackson Olson · Instagram apology

“I love Guillermo, and I have loved him [since we met]. We’ve gotten close on the show.”

Jackson Olson · TV Insider
Read the update carefully

What the apology does—and does not—settle

The available reporting offers a clearer account of the contestants’ relationship, while leaving some audience questions open.

What is established

Olson apologized, shared a video of the two dancing to Hannah Montana’s “Nobody’s Perfect,” and said they spoke privately. Rodriguez also said they are friends while competing.

What remains unknown

The account does not say how many viewers objected, whether the apology changed their views, or whether the show took formal action. It includes no response from Ostberg or the Loco Beach Coconuts.

Context: Calling the comment disrespectful reflects the criticism it received from fans. Neither contestant presented the incident as a continuing personal feud.
Key questions

What viewers may want to know

The latest reported update is the apology and the pair’s confirmation that they remain friends.

Why did Jackson Olson apologize?

His comment beneath a TikTok dance video drew criticism. The clip showed Erik Ostberg recreating a routine performed by Rodriguez and Witney Carson.

Are Rodriguez and Olson still friends?

Yes. Rodriguez said, “We’re friends,” and Olson separately said their friendship is genuine. Olson also said they spoke privately.

What did Olson say in the apology?

He said he was sorry to Rodriguez and others for his comment and the negativity it caused. He shared a video of the two dancing together.

Did the comment change the competition?

The available reporting describes no change to the competition or formal action by the show. Both men said they remain friends while competing.

The season continues

For now, the friendship is the update

Rodriguez and Olson remain contestants on Dancing With the Stars.

The account identifies no specific next appearance and does not say whether either contestant will address the incident again. For now, their latest public message is simple: they are friends, and the competition continues.

An Online Joke Meets Competition

The exchange shows how a brief remark about a performance can become a public issue when fans interpret it as a personal slight. In this case, the comment compared Ostberg’s recreation with Rodriguez’s televised dance, and online criticism prompted Olson to address the reaction directly.

For viewers following DWTS, both contestants’ statements provide a clearer account of their relationship than the speculation around the deleted comment. They say they are friends while competing against one another. Their remarks do not establish that all fans accepted the apology, but they indicate that the two performers themselves are not presenting the incident as an ongoing conflict.

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How the Comment Drew Attention

The episode began with a TikTok video posted last week by the Loco Beach Coconuts, a team associated with Banana Ball. It featured Erik Ostberg performing a version of a routine first danced on the current season of Dancing With the Stars by Rodriguez and Carson. Olson’s comparison appeared in the comments and was later removed.

After fans objected, Olson apologized on Instagram on Tuesday and shared a video of himself dancing with Rodriguez. He also told TV Insider that he had gone to Rodriguez’s trailer and spoken with him for about 30 minutes. Olson said they agreed to clear the air and show people they were friends. Rodriguez’s separate remarks to the outlet echoed that account, describing their relationship as friendly despite their competition on the show.

““We’re friends. We’re competing against each other, but we’re friends. We’re having fun. He’s a good guy.””

— Guillermo Rodriguez, speaking to TV Insider

What the Apology Does Not Resolve

The public comments do not establish how many viewers saw or objected to Olson’s original remark, or whether the apology changed their views. The account provided does not include a response from Ostberg or the Loco Beach Coconuts, and it does not report any formal action by Dancing With the Stars over the comment.

The original remark was deleted, so its full surrounding exchange is not available in the account. The reported wording is attributed to Olson’s social media comment, while the description of it as disrespectful reflects the reaction it received from fans. Neither contestant has described a continuing personal dispute.

The Competition Continues on DWTS

Rodriguez and Olson remain contestants on Dancing With the Stars, where they will continue competing as the season proceeds. The available account does not identify a specific next appearance or say whether either will address the incident again.

For now, the latest public update is the apology and the pair’s confirmation that they are friends. Any further development would depend on what the contestants say or do as the competition continues.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Key Questions

Why did Jackson Olson apologize to Guillermo Rodriguez?

Olson apologized after a comment beneath a TikTok dance video drew criticism from fans. The video showed Erik Ostberg recreating a routine performed by Rodriguez and Witney Carson on Dancing With the Stars; Olson’s now-deleted comment compared Ostberg’s performance favorably with Rodriguez’s.

Are Rodriguez and Olson still friends?

Yes. Rodriguez told TV Insider, “We’re friends,” and Olson separately said they are “truly friends.” Olson also said they spoke privately to clear the air.

What did Olson say in his apology?

In an Instagram post, Olson said he was sorry to Rodriguez and to others for his comment and the negativity it caused. He shared a video of the two dancing together and wrote that he loved Rodriguez.

Did the comment affect the DWTS competition?

The available reporting does not describe any change to the competition or formal action by the show. Both men said they remain friends while competing against each other.

Source: Los Angeles Times

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