Despite a perfect score and strong showing all season, JoJo Siwa and dance partner Jenna Johnson finished second in last night’s Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) finale.
Siwa and Johnson, who made history as the first same-sex couple to appear on the American version of the popular dance-off, were one of four couples who made it to Monday night’s finale, where they performed two dances.
The first, which fused elements of the tango and cha-cha, earned them 20 out of 20 points from the panel of judges. The second, a freestyle number performed to Lady Gaga’s gay anthem, “Born This Way,” also scored 20 out of 20.
Although the couple had been the favorites to win the show’s coveted mirror ball trophy, having run at the front of the dance pack all season, they lost out to former NBA star Iman Shumpert and partner Daniella Karagach, who took first.
Prior to the night’s performance, Siwa posted a compilation of her and Johnson’s previous performances throughout the season to Instagram, including a clip from their sexy rumba, which had earned them a slot in the semi-finals.
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She also used the social media platform to thank Johnson for all her hard work throughout the season, and for changing her life. “[C]oming into this competition I was scared of myself, but because of you, the way that I look and think about myself has changed,” Siwa wrote in a separate post. “You’ve challenged me in ways I didn’t know I could be challenged. Day 4 you told me [I]’m your partner, trust me, and that’s the best thing [I’ve ever] done.”
She added, “Being the first same sex couple was a scary thing and for you to be involved is just a huge testament to who you are. You are such a good person and I am so thankful to have you in my life. Thank you for doing this with me.”
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