Zendaya Looks Back on Her DWTS Season 16 Defeat Against Kellie Pickler
More than a decade has passed since Zendaya was a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, yet she still feels upset about how her season ended.
The 28-year-old actress participated in season 16 of the ABC dance competition in 2013. After a season filled with impressive scores, she and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, ultimately finished behind Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough.
“Listen, I’m still feeling a bit of resentment about that,” Zendaya expressed in an interview with W Magazine published on Friday, January 3. “I really felt that loss. I was only 16 at the time, and it was incredibly stressful.”
She described the experience of competing live each week as “so scary,” adding, “I took it very seriously, and in hindsight, I wish I had let loose a bit more and thought, ‘Oh, whatever.’ You know what I mean? I was really stressing myself out over that whole [show].”
Zendaya indicated that nowadays, she doesn’t watch DWTS anymore, despite her past participation. She first shared this revelation during an interview on “The Awardist” podcast last year, explaining that she hasn’t tuned in since her season aired.
“I have not watched Dancing With the Stars since I was on it,” she admitted in October 2024. “I didn’t really watch Dancing With the Stars before I was cast. I don’t think I was the intended audience. My grandma, on the other hand, loves Dancing With the Stars. It’s her thing.”
She further explained: “It was just a very stressful experience for me. I thought, ‘I don’t think I’m going to watch this anymore.’”
Zendaya’s disappointment regarding the results of season 16 is also felt by Chmerkovskiy, aged 38, who has since won the mirrorball trophy three times with former partners Rumer Willis, Laurie Hernandez, and Xochitl Gomez.
“My biggest disappointment was not winning Dancing With the Stars with Zendaya. That was a huge letdown for me because she was just 16,” he disclosed to Entertainment Tonight in March 2018. “I wanted this to be a significant milestone for her. She worked really hard, and I truly wanted her to win that trophy and catapult her career. The fact that she didn’t win felt heartbreaking for me.”
Fortunately, as Chmerkovskiy noted, Zendaya’s journey on DWTS ended up effectively launching her career. He reflected: “It’s about realizing that it’s not always about winning or losing; it’s about the lessons learned through the experience and utilizing those skills to advance in life.”
Before DWTS, Zendaya was recognized for her role on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up. Over the past decade, she has evolved into one of Hollywood’s leading actresses, starring in projects such as The Greatest Showman, Challengers, the Dune series, and the Spider-Man films.
In 2020, Chmerkovskiy took to Instagram to commend Zendaya for becoming the youngest actress to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria, a title she also earned again in 2022.
“I always knew you were something special. Our season on DWTS, along with your ongoing success, has brought me immense joy,” he captioned a clip of one of their performances. “I’m incredibly proud of you, Z! You’re the youngest winner of an Emmy for a leading role. You’re a superstar, and you always have been! Love you, family, to many more victories in your life.”
