You probably know Chrishell Stause as the heart of Netflix’s Selling Sunset, but long before the O Group drama reached its current fever pitch, she stepped onto a very different stage. It was the fall of 2020. The world was still reeling from global lockdowns, and Chrishell was personally navigating the wreckage of a very public, very painful divorce from This Is Us star Justin Hartley. When the news broke that she’d be joining the cast of Season 29, it felt like a gamble. Could a soap-actress-turned-realtor actually hold her own in the ballroom?
She didn't just hold her own.
Chrishell Stause on Dancing with the Stars became a journey of literal and metaphorical healing that fans still talk about years later. It wasn't just about the footwork or the sequins. It was about a woman rebuilding herself in front of millions of people. Honestly, it was kinda beautiful to watch.
A Rocky Start and the "Pigeon-Toed" Critique
The premiere was, to put it bluntly, a bit of a disaster. Chrishell and her pro partner, the intense and talented Gleb Savchenko, kicked things off with a Tango to Pink’s "Raise Your Glass." The judges weren't exactly feeling the vibe.
Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli were tough. Derek Hough, the newest addition to the panel at the time, pointed out that Chrishell was a bit "pigeon-toed," which made her movements look inward and timid. They slapped her with a dismal score of 13 out of 30. For a minute there, it looked like she might be one of the first to go. People on Twitter were already writing her off, comparing her score to Carole Baskin’s (which, ouch).
But here’s the thing about Chrishell: she’s a fighter.
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She grew up in Kentucky, dealing with periods of homelessness as a kid. You don't survive that and then crumble because a judge told you your toes were pointing the wrong way. She went back to the rehearsal studio and worked. Hard.
The Cinderella Moment That Changed Everything
By week three, something shifted. It was Disney Night—a staple of the show—and Chrishell was cast as Cinderella. It was almost too perfect. She performed a Waltz to "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," and the transformation was staggering.
"We all know Cinderella had a rough start, so I really relate to her in many ways," she said during her pre-tape. "It's the ultimate rags-to-riches story."
She wasn't just playing a character; she was living it. She scored a 22/30, landing her first 8 from the judges. Gleb was visibly shocked, later joking that he only expected a 7. That performance proved she wasn't just a reality star filling a slot; she was a contender. The grace she found in that blue gown seemed to follow her into the following weeks.
Rumors, Drama, and the Gleb Factor
You can’t talk about Chrishell Stause on Dancing with the Stars without mentioning the tabloid firestorm that erupted mid-season. Gleb Savchenko announced he was splitting from his wife of 14 years, Elena Samodanova, right around the time he and Chrishell were showing some serious "steamy" chemistry on the dance floor.
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The internet did what the internet does.
Rumors of an affair started flying everywhere. It got so loud that Chrishell had to take to Instagram Stories to shut it down. She was firm about it, too. Having just gone through her own public split, she made it clear she would never want to be the cause of another one. She and Gleb were friends—nothing more.
Interestingly, while the world was obsessing over her and Gleb, she was actually forming a connection with a different pro: Keo Motsepe. They didn't go public until after she was eliminated, but the seeds were sown during those long filming days. They eventually dated for about three months before calling it quits in early 2021.
The Heartbreaking Elimination
In week eight, the journey ended. It was "Use Your Vote" Night. Chrishell and Gleb performed a Viennese Waltz to Rihanna’s "Love on the Brain." It was solid. She earned a 24/30, showing just how much she’d improved from that first week’s 13.
But the competition was fierce.
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She found herself in the bottom two against Skai Jackson. The judges had to choose, and they chose Skai. It was a unanimous vote to send Chrishell home. She took it with her signature grace, but you could tell it stung. She had stayed through eight weeks of grueling rehearsals, all while filming Selling Sunset and dealing with the first anniversary of her mother’s death from lung cancer.
Why Her DWTS Run Still Matters
Looking back, that season was a turning point. It gave her a platform outside of the "drama-filled realtor" edit. It showed her vulnerability. She openly talked about using the show as therapy, a way to process her grief and her divorce.
She didn't win the Mirrorball Trophy. Not even close. But she won over a lot of people who previously only saw her as a soap opera actress.
What We Can Learn from Chrishell's Experience:
- Resilience is a muscle. If you start at the bottom (like a score of 13), the only way is up. You just have to keep showing up to rehearsal.
- Public perception isn't reality. While people were busy inventing affair rumors, she was actually just focused on learning how to not be "pigeon-toed" and finding a genuine connection elsewhere.
- Leaning into your story works. When she embraced her "Cinderella" background, her dancing improved because she felt the emotional connection to the movement.
If you’re looking to revisit her best moments, start with the Disney Night Waltz. It remains one of the most genuine "growth" moments in the show's recent history. For fans of Selling Sunset, it provides a lot of context for the more confident, self-assured Chrishell we see in later seasons. She didn't just learn to dance; she learned how to stand on her own two feet again.
To see where she is now, you can follow her continued real estate journey on Netflix or keep an eye out for her upcoming projects, including her recent collaborations with other industry giants like Ryan Serhant. Her time in the ballroom may be over, but the momentum it gave her career is still going strong.