Livid 'DWTS' fans blame racism for Chandler Kinney's third-place finish despite perfect scores

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Disney star Chandler Kinney's third-place finish on 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 33 finale on Tuesday, November 26, has shocked viewers—who further accused the show of racism.

The celebrity dance competition ended its Season 33 on Tuesday as former 'Bachelor' star Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson were crowned the winners.

The former 'Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin' star, 24, came in third behind runner-up Ilona Maher and this year's champion, Graziadei, per Daily Mail.

Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik followed Chandler in fourth and former NFL player Danny Amendola in fifth place.

Chandler Kinney and partner Brandon Armstrong received perfect scores from judges

While fans were thrilled to see Joey Graziadei win the show's coveted Mirrorball trophy, they were also disappointed by Disney star Chandler Kinney and partner Brandon Armstrong's third-place finish.

Graziadei received a perfect score (30) for his freestyle dance and a nearly perfect score (29) for his redemption dance, per The Independent.

Fans pointed out that Kinney and her dance partner, Armstrong, received flawless scores throughout the evening, surpassing both Graziadei and Maher.

The final rankings were determined by a combination of viewer and judge votes, so Kinney and Armstrong's flawless scores were overridden by enough local fans who supported Graziadei and Maher.

Some fans condemned "racism" and "misogyny" for the surprisingly low ranking, while others voiced their strong disagreement.

The evening started with a group dance to Madonna's 1980s hit song, 'Holiday', performed by all of the couples. Stars who were previously eliminated, including Jenn Tran, Eric Roberts, Tori Spelling, and Anna Delvey, also joined.

The finalists were then required to do a freestyle dance along with a redemption dance in the style that the judges selected for them.

Graziadei did the cha-cha to Justin Timberlake's 'Can't Stop The Feeling' for his redemption dance and performed to District 78's 'Canned Heat' featuring Jake Simpson for his freestyle.

Kinney, meanwhile, did her redemption jive to 'APT.' by Rose and Bruno Mars. Kinney and Armstrong created history as the first Black couple to make it to the show's finale.

As a tribute to their predecessors, their freestyle group featured only Black dance professionals to commemorate the event. Kinney received tens for both performances, resulting in a perfect score of 60.

Fans were unhappy because Kinney, who was among the best dancers in the competition, finished lower than both Maher and Graziadei, who received scores of 57 and 59, respectively.

'DWTS' fans enraged after Chandler Kinney finishes in third place

Fans expressed their indignation on social media, with many believing Chandler Kinney was treated unfairly. One exclaimed on X (formerly Twitter), "THIRD?????? CHANDLER GOT THIRD????? #DWTS"

Another fan wrote, "Im sorry but there is no universe where you could convince me that CHANDLER KINNEY placed anything but 1st place. 2nd place i’d still be upset… but 3RD PLACE???? you’ve got to be f**king kidding right now #DWTS"

Others blamed racism among domestic voters for Chandler Kinney's comparatively low ranking. One said, "I’ve lost like 10 followers already since i started to post that the chandler loss was rooted in racism and misogyny…. y’all are weird and good riddance!!"

Another remarked, "Chandler kinney lost because of misogynoir ! it’s plain and simple as much as it is ugly and i’m not gonna shut up about it #dwts"

"So you racist #dwts freaks voted for anyone but chandler out of spite because she was proud to speak about the fact that she achieved something RARE as a black woman on that show??? you manipulative conniving freaks will pay," seethed one.

One added, "Racism & misogyny won. it’s as simple as that. chandler was miles ahead of everyone else and clearly deserved that win! #DWTS"

"Chandler was robbed because of racism. POINT BLANK PERIOD," another noted.

Another fan questioned whether Chandler Kinney's performance had even been watched. They said, "Uhm EXCUSE ME. CHANDLER IN THIRD PLACE. Not ok… what is wrong with people? Did you not watch her dance!?"

One said, "I don't even watch or care about this show anymore but chandler clearly was robbed and the antiblack campaign to try to dissuade people for voting for her was nothing short of disgusting"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.