When you grow up in the public eye as Stephanie Tanner, people think they know you. They remember the catchphrases and the blond curls. But when Season 22 of Dancing with the Stars kicked off in 2016, we saw a version of Jodie Sweetin that was stripped of the sitcom polish. It wasn't just about the glitter or the spray tans. It was raw. Honestly, it was one of the most polarizing and emotionally heavy runs the show has ever seen.
Most fans expected the "Fuller House" star to breeze through. She had some dance background, after all. But the reality was a brutal mix of physical agony and a scoring system that felt, at times, like it was designed to break her spirit.
The Partnership That Nobody Saw Coming
When Jodie Sweetin was paired with Keo Motsepe, the "DWTS" superfans on Reddit and Twitter had thoughts. Mostly, they were worried. Keo is an incredible pro—a literal king of Ballroom and Latin—but at that point, he hadn't had much luck with the voting public. He was often the first or second pro eliminated.
Jodie didn't care.
She wrote in her blog at the time that she was actually thrilled. She liked his hunger. They hit it off immediately, but the road was anything but smooth. They started with a Tango to Demi Lovato’s “Confident.” It was... okay. A 20 out of 30. Not a disaster, but the judges were nitpicking her from day one. It felt like they were holding her to a higher standard because they knew she could do it.
The pressure was massive. You’ve got the comeback of Fuller House happening simultaneously, and suddenly she’s in a rehearsal studio ten hours a day trying to perfect a frame that doesn't feel natural.
The Night the Ballroom Cried
Week three was "Most Memorable Year." This is usually the week where everyone cries, but Jodie Sweetin’s story was different. She chose 2011—the year she celebrated five years of sobriety.
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She didn't shy away from the dark stuff. She talked openly about the "huge loss" she felt when Full House ended and how she didn't know how to grieve, turning to drugs and alcohol to fill that void. Her Foxtrot to "7 Years" by Lukas Graham wasn't just a dance. It was an exorcism.
Watching her partner Keo support her through that emotional wreckage was something else. It was the first time the audience really got to see the grit behind the smile. It earned them a 23, but more importantly, it earned her the "fan favorite" title she’d hold for the rest of her run.
That Ankle Injury: A Near-Disaster
Things got scary in Week 6. They were prepping a Contemporary routine to Pink’s “Try,” which is famous for being incredibly athletic and physically demanding. During a rehearsal, a lift went south.
Keo fell.
Jodie fell.
Keo fell on Jodie’s ankle.
The footage is still hard to watch. She was screaming in pain, convinced the bone was snapped. She was rushed to the hospital, and for a few hours, the internet thought she was out of the competition.
The diagnosis? A "bad bone bruise." Not a break, but anyone who has had one knows they hurt like a mother. Most people would have taken a week off or asked for a simplified routine. Jodie did the opposite. She showed up on Monday and performed a routine that involved her supporting Keo’s weight, sliding across tables, and doing floorwork that looked excruciating.
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They got a 25. It should have been higher. But that was the story of Jodie Sweetin Dancing with the Stars—consistently great, yet somehow always fighting an uphill battle with the leaderboard.
The Shocking Elimination That Still Doesn't Make Sense
If you want to talk about "DWTS" robberies, you have to talk about Week 8.
Jodie and Keo performed a Jive to "Something’s Got a Hold on Me." It was perfect. Literally. They got straight 10s. A perfect 30. Carrie Ann Inaba called it the best dance Jodie had ever done. Her best friend Candice Cameron-Bure was in the audience crying her eyes out.
And then, minutes later, they were sent home.
It was one of those moments where the room goes silent. How do you get a perfect score and get eliminated in the same breath? It came down to the previous week's votes, and despite her talent, she just couldn't outrun the "middle-of-the-pack" voting slump from earlier in the season.
She finished in 6th place. Honestly, she deserved the finals.
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Why Her Journey Still Matters Today
Jodie Sweetin’s time on the show wasn't just celebrity fluff. It changed how people viewed her. She wasn't just "Stephanie Tanner" anymore; she was a woman who had survived addiction, survived a grueling rehearsal schedule, and survived the literal weight of her partner falling on her leg.
If you’re looking to take a page out of her book, here’s the real-world takeaway:
- Own your narrative. Jodie didn't let the tabloids tell her recovery story; she told it herself on the dance floor.
- Resilience isn't just a buzzword. Performing on a bone bruise is legendary. It’s a reminder that "showing up" is half the battle.
- The "Perfect Score" isn't the only win. Even though she didn't get the Mirrorball, she walked away with her head high. She told Us Weekly that if you have to go, it's better to go out on your highest scores rather than leaving on a "crap" performance.
If you want to revisit the magic, go back and watch that Week 8 Jive. It’s a masterclass in energy. Then, look at her Contemporary routine to Pink. You’ll see a performer who wasn't just there for a paycheck, but for the sheer, painful joy of the craft.
To really understand the impact, look at how she’s navigated her career since. She didn't let the elimination slow her down—she jumped right back into advocacy and acting. If you're going through a "rebuilding" phase in your own life, her DWTS journey is basically a blueprint for how to handle setbacks with a ridiculous amount of grace.
Keep an eye on the current DWTS seasons; you'll often see the "Sweetin Effect"—a celebrity who starts shaky, finds their soul mid-season, and leaves us all wondering why the heck they didn't win.