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Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson say they are friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing. Olson said the comment was not malicious, and the two shared a video of themselves dancing together.
Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson say they remain friends after Olson apologized for a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing that some fans considered disrespectful. Rodriguez told TV Insider on Tuesday that the two are enjoying competing on “Dancing With the Stars” together, while Olson said their friendship is genuine.
“We’re friends,” Rodriguez, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” star, told TV Insider. “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 he and Rodriguez are “truly friends.”
Olson apologized in an Instagram post earlier Tuesday. “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,” he wrote. The post included a video of the two contestants dancing together to “Nobody’s Perfect” by Hannah Montana. Olson added, “I love this guy,” and urged them to get back to what the show is meant to be about: dancing.
The controversy followed a comment Olson left under a TikTok video posted last week by Banana Ball team Loco Beach Coconuts. The video showed player Erik Ostberg recreating a dance Rodriguez had performed with professional partner Witney Carson earlier in the season. Olson reportedly praised Ostberg’s version, writing, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” The comment was later deleted.
DWTS · Apology & Friendship
Are Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson Friends?
After a social media comment about Rodriguez’s dancing drew criticism, Olson apologized. Both contestants say their friendship is intact as they compete on “Dancing With the Stars.”
The situation at a glance
Apology, conversation, then a shared dance
How events unfolded
From a TikTok comment to a public apology
The exchange began with a dance recreation and ended with both men publicly describing their relationship as friendly.
A dance is recreated
Erik Ostberg of the Loco Beach Coconuts recreated a dance Rodriguez had performed with Witney Carson.
Olson compares the dances
He wrote, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” Fans criticized the wording.
They clear the air
Olson told TV Insider they spoke in Rodriguez’s trailer and wanted people to know there was no malice between them.
An apology goes public
Olson apologized, shared a video of them dancing to “Nobody’s Perfect,” and said, “I love this guy.”
Their words
Both describe a friendly relationship
The contestants’ own statements frame the moment as a misunderstanding they addressed while continuing to compete.
“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
What is established
What the statements do—and don’t—tell us
The apology and friendship statements are public. The intent behind the original wording and the scale of the online reaction are not independently established in the available reporting.
Olson apologized, and both men told TV Insider they are friends despite competing on the show.
Some fans viewed the rehearsal-time comparison as disrespectful to Rodriguez.
The account does not give a fuller explanation for the original comment or say how many viewers objected.
Rodriguez and Olson remain competitors; no formal show action was reported.
The public sequence
Comment → response → reassuranceQuick answers
Key questions
Are Rodriguez and Olson friends?
Both say yes. Rodriguez called them friends, and Olson described the friendship as genuine.
Why did Olson apologize?
He apologized for a comment comparing the rehearsal time behind Ostberg’s dance recreation with Rodriguez’s performance.
What did the original comment say?
Olson reportedly wrote, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” The comment was later deleted.
Did it affect the competition?
No change to either contestant’s participation was reported. They remain competitors on “Dancing With the Stars.”
How the Contestants Addressed the Fallout
The episode drew attention to how social media comments can be read beyond their intended audience, particularly when contestants are also competing in a televised show. Fans took Olson’s comparison as disrespectful to Rodriguez, although the two contestants have said the comment did not reflect hostility between them.
The public apology and the contestants’ statements give viewers a direct account of how they say the disagreement was handled. Olson told TV Insider that he and Rodriguez spoke privately in Rodriguez’s trailer for about 30 minutes, then wanted to show people they were friends and that there was no malicious intent between them. Their shared dance video reinforced that message, but it does not establish how every fan interpreted the original comment or the apology.
For the show, the exchange keeps attention on the contestants’ relationship as well as their performances. Rodriguez and Olson are competing against each other, but both have publicly described their connection as friendly. That distinction matters: a competitive setting does not, on its own, confirm a personal dispute.
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The TikTok Comment Behind the Apology
The sequence began with a video posted last week by Loco Beach Coconuts, a team in Banana Ball. Its player Erik Ostberg recreated a dance that Rodriguez and Carson had performed earlier in the current “DWTS” season. Olson’s comment compared the rehearsal time behind Ostberg’s performance with Rodriguez’s, and fans criticized the wording on Rodriguez’s behalf.
Olson’s comment was subsequently deleted. The available account does not say when it was removed or provide a further explanation from the platform. After the reaction, Olson apologized on Instagram and spoke to TV Insider about his relationship with Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s response to the outlet likewise emphasized friendship, while acknowledging that they are competing on the show.
Rodriguez is known as a personality on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, while Olson plays for the Savannah Bananas. Their shared participation in “Dancing With the Stars” brings them into the same competitive cast. The relevant development is not a confirmed feud, but the two men’s public response to a comment that viewers interpreted as a slight.
“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 Public Statements Don’t Establish
The two contestants have said they are friends, but the precise intent behind Olson’s original comment is not independently established in the available reporting. Olson apologized and told TV Insider that he and Rodriguez were not malicious toward one another; fans’ reaction, by contrast, reflected how the wording was received. The comment has been deleted, and the account provided does not include a fuller explanation of why Olson wrote it.
It is also unclear how many viewers objected or how the exchange affected the contestants’ standing on the show. No change to the competition or formal action by “Dancing With the Stars” was reported. The confirmed development is the apology and both men’s statements that their relationship is friendly.
The Competition Continues on DWTS
Rodriguez and Olson remain competitors on “Dancing With the Stars”, and the reported statements do not indicate any change to their participation. The immediate next development is likely to be their ongoing performances and any further public response to the apology, though no additional statement or show-related action was announced in the reporting.
For now, the contestants have addressed the dispute directly: Olson apologized, and both men described themselves as friends. Whether the online reaction fades or prompts further discussion remains to be seen. Their comments establish how they characterize their relationship, not how every viewer will respond.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Key Questions
Are Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson friends?
Both said they are friends. Rodriguez told TV Insider, “We’re friends,” and Olson described their friendship as genuine.
Why did Jackson Olson apologize?
Olson apologized for a social media comment comparing the rehearsal time behind a dance by Erik Ostberg with Rodriguez’s performance. Fans viewed the wording as disrespectful to Rodriguez.
What did Olson write in the original comment?
Under a TikTok video of Ostberg recreating a dance by Rodriguez and Witney Carson, Olson reportedly wrote, “How did you do this better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal.” The comment was later deleted.
Did the comment change their DWTS competition?
No change to either contestant’s participation was reported. Rodriguez and Olson remain competitors on “Dancing With the Stars,” while describing their relationship as friendly.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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