It’s been over 10 years since Zendaya appeared on Dancing With the Stars, but losing the season still seems to sting.
The award-nominated actress appeared in Season 16 of the popular dance competition show, with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy helping her reach the finals.
He did the same alongside actress Kelly Monaco in the previous season, finishing third overall.
Zendaya and Val seemed destined to win the show’s coveted trophy in Season 16, but the host ultimately announced them as the runner-up pair.
The finale revealed that country singer Kellie Pickler and pro dancer Derek Hough were the best of the group.
While that happened a while ago, it kept Zendaya from watching the show because she continued “harboring a little animosity” about her loss.
Zendaya recalls her DWTS loss in Season 16
While speaking to W Magazine, Zendaya said she doesn’t watch the show after her Season 16 loss. She opened up about that experience, indicating she “took it very seriously.”
“Listen, I’m still harboring a little animosity about that. I felt that loss. I was only 16 years old, and it was highly stressful. Being on live television every week? It’s so scary,” she said.
“I took it very seriously, which, in retrospect, I wish I didn’t. I wish I’d enjoyed it a little bit more and just was like, ‘Eh, whatever.’ You know what I mean? But I was stressing myself out. I really went through it on that,” Zendaya shared with W Magazine.
In her W Magazine interview, she spoke about feeling underwhelmed and stressed when preparing for her role as a tennis coach in Challengers. However, she said if she could learn footwork for the DWTS dances, she could do it for tennis.
Several of Zendaya and Val’s dances in Season 16 received 10 scores from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli. That included their Samba in the final. However, the host later announced them as the runner-up couple.
In October 2024, Monsters and Critics reported about Zendaya’s comments indicating she stopped watching DWTS after her season. While the actress called it a “very stressful experience” being a contestant, she also said her Grandma “loves“ the show.”
Zendaya’s DWTS loss hasn’t stopped her
While that DWTS loss in 2013 may have caused a grudge from Zendaya towards watching future seasons, it hasn’t stopped her from becoming successful.
That same year, she released her first and only album, Zendaya, which included the smash hit Replay. Since then, she’s released more music, including songs for The Greatest Showman and Euphoria Season 2.
Four years later, the actress was one of the main stars of the Spider-Man: Homecoming film along with actor Tom Holland. She appeared in two more of the blockbuster superhero films, with another in the works.
In addition, she is a star of HBO’s hit drama series Euphoria. She was the youngest winner of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Zendaya won it a second time for her role as Rue Bennett on the show.
Additional roles have arrived for her since, including her starring in the ensemble cast of the blockbuster award-nominated Dune films.
Dune: Part Two is among this year’s films with awards buzz. So is the movie Challengers, for which Zendaya received a Golden Globes nomination.
While she might be “harboring a little animosity,” Zendaya certainly moved past her DWTS loss to succeed significantly in her entertainment career.
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 is TBA for ABC and Disney+.