Lindsay Arnold skipped Monday’s “Dancing with the Stars” after her mother-in-low unexpectedly died over the weekend and she may not be back next week either.
“We are unsure,” Jenna Johnson, who filled in for Arnold, told “Entertainment Tonight” (watch below). “We just want to get through Monday, today, and we’ll see.”
Arnold’s mother-in-law passed away on Saturday, after which Johnson stepped in to work with Sean Spicer on their individual jazz routine and their cha-cha for the dance-off. The pair scored a 20, two points higher than Spicer’s score last week, and was the first couple declared safe. And while she was not there, Arnold was keeping track of the results.
“She called. She was so excited,” Spicer revealed. “I know how hard she worked to bounce back from last week with all 6s, so for me, knowing I got the scores up wasn’t just about me this time, it was about making sure that Lindsay knew the last thing she had to worry about was me, because the scores went back up. Jenna was able to step in and truly save the day, and I know how much that meant to Lindsay that it wasn’t just anybody, it was a great friend, Jenna, who got to do that. You care about these people, and I know how hard she’s worked and how hard she’s invested in me and I want to show her how much I care.”
SEE ‘Dancing with the Stars’ recap: Kate Flannery eliminated on Dance-Off Week
Arnold shared the tragic news in an Instagram post at the start of Monday’s show, writing, “I am so saddened to say that my beautiful, loving, selfless mother in law has unexpectedly passed away. Family is the most important thing to me and being with my husband and our family at this time is exactly where I need to be.”
She thanked her “Dancing” family for their support and “making it possible” for her to be with her family. “Thank you all for your love and support,” she wrote. “Families are forever and I know that without a doubt.”
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