Melissa Rycroft Injured During Camera Blocking For Dancing With The Stars
According to a new People.com report tonight, Melissa Rycroft fell during camera blocking today while preparing for Dancing With The Stars. She has suffered a head and neck injury. There is no word on whether she will be able to compete on Monday. Below is more….
Former Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital Sunday afternoon after suffering a head and neck injury during rehearsals for Monday’s Dancing with the Stars episode.
“Melissa was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where she is currently being examined,” Rycroft’s rep tells PEOPLE. “She was accompanied to the hospital by her husband, Tye Strickland, and her dance partner, Tony Dovolani. Everyone is taking all necessary precautions at this time.”
Rycroft fell while doing camera blocking for Monday’s group number at CBS studios.
Please everyone, be sending Melissa your positive thoughts and prayers that she is ok. Stay tuned. If we find out more, we’ll be sure to let you know.
UPDATE: E News is reporting that Melissa was released from the hospital last night. They are also reporting that the accident happened during a rehearsal for a Tango. You can read more here. Thanks to Jen and Lori for sending us this news this morning.
ADDING: Here is a ET rehearsal interview with Tony and Melissa that most likely took place last Friday. Note how she talks on fatigue and their new tango.
Another Update on Melissa’s injury: Access Hollywood reports that the injury took place during the group number. They also report that she is waiting for further evaluation this morning. Below is more…
“Melissa was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where she was examined,” a rep for Melissa told Access Hollywood on Monday.
Melissa – who is paired with pro dancer Tony Dovolani for the current “DWTS: All-Stars” season – was injured after she fell during rehearsal for a group number.
According to People, the star suffered an injury to her head and neck.
It was unclear if the incident would force Melissa to miss Monday night’s show.
However, her rep did indicate she had left the hospital and was awaiting further evaluation.
“She was released last night and is meant to meet with doctors again this morning,” the rep added.
UPDATE: People.com has posted footage of Melissa’s dance injury. You can watch it here. Below is a take from the link. Note how they won’t know if she will perform until showtime. Thanks to @DWTSgossip for the heads up on this news…
In footage taken during the rehearsal, Rycroft’s partner, Tony Dovolani, jumps over Rycroft and then pulls her by her arms between his legs along the ballroom floor. When she pops up, she immediately puts a hand to her neck, grimaces and cries out in pain. Later, she’s also seen on the floor wiping tears away and holding her neck.
“Melissa Rycroft suffered an on-set injury during Sunday’s camera blocking rehearsal and was immediately taken to the hospital,” a rep tells PEOPLE. “We can confirm Melissa was diagnosed with a disc herniation at the C4-C5 level of her cervical spine. At this time, Melissa’s ability to perform in tonight’s show will be a show time decision.”
UPDATE: New tweet from Louis that Melissa is “totally fine”. We will soon see for ourselves. It’s almost showtime…
And now this which is also telling:
Scary, scary, scary. I hope Melissa is okay, she’s so darned sweet. I really think they sometimes push themselves too hard. It’s just a silly dancing show in the end, y’know? :/
Poor Melissa, so weird just like season 8 during the team dances, hopefully wasn’t any thing serious.
Since her last tweet was three hour ago, so the injured probably happened after that. If she can’t dance they will probably get Chelsie to dance on her place.
Hope she is ok
That is so sad. I really hope that she is ok. They are all taking so much risk out there.
DITTO to all of you! I hope she is ok.
Evaine, I agree! They push so hard and take so many risks. It’s scary and you can tell she so much wants to compete with the best of them.
Scary. Hope going to the hospital was more precautionary because you never want to mess with head/neck injuries and it turns out not to be too serious.
Oh no!! I hope she’s ok!!
Poor Melissa! Praying that she is ok!
This sucks
I really hope she is okay. I will definitely keep her in my thoughts and prayers. Bless her heart.
My best wishes go to Melissa. Hope she is okay.
Melissa last tweeted 3 hours ago, so the injury could have happened after that, but looking at other tweets from people on her team – Shawn tweeted this 2 hours ago “The johnson household has hit a wall…. Mom dad myself and roommate all passed out #zzzzz” so it sounded like she was already done rehearing for the day by then doesn’t it?
I don’t care if she dances, just want her to be ok. She’s such a sweetie and has a family she’s devoted to … no risks, please, in deciding whether to perform or not.
Very scary….I hope she’s ok, too. Maybe this is a wake-up call for DWTS to get back to strictly ballroom dancing, stop the tricks and lifts. I can still see Hines Ward falling on Kym Johnson, and wondering how she came out of that without breaking her neck.
Tony just tweeted this – “Really concerned about @MelissaRycroft….. we don’t know if we are dancing tomorrow !!!!! Please keep us in your prayers #trouper”
Totally agree, auntie b.
Oh, poor Melissa. She is so sweet and a wonderful dancer. Thinking positive thoughts.
I am with Faby. I don’t give a two cents worth if Melissa dances, I just want her to be okay.
Hopefully she will be ok!
Didn’t Lacey fill in for Melissa when she couldn’t do the team dance in S8? I bet that is going to happen this time. Poor Melissa. I’ll put up a prayer for her.
If anyone needs to fill in for Melissa and it’s a cheerleader/ football player theme…I’d go with Chelsie Hightower…JMHO.
I really hope it’s just a precaution and she is fine. Wouldn’t wish injury on anyone but she seems down to earth and dedicated to her family, not all full of herself. Best wishes Melissa!
This is heartbreaking. I’m hoping it was precautionary too and that we get some good news soon.
Prayers with you Melissa.. Stay strong!
Scary scary scary is right. I hope she’s OK.
@Auntie Bellum – “Maybe this is a wake-up call for DWTS to get back to strictly ballroom dancing, stop the tricks and lifts. I can still see Hines Ward falling on Kym Johnson, and wondering how she came out of that without breaking her neck.”
No truer words were said…. I don’t get the emphasis for all this freestyle over-the-top dancing this season. We know they are DWTS All-Stars, we get it. So let them DANCE please.
I hope Melissa is okay.
Hope she is ok as well. Here is a question, if she cannot dance tonight what does Team Shawn do?
I hope Melissa is okay!!! I’m just waiting for Gilles to come out with some remark like,” This is why we stick to dancing and not these over the top tricks. I don’t want to jeopardize any of our team members just to win.” For those of you who are speed reading, he hasn’t it …. yet! But I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes the whole thing all about himself as usual!
* he hasn’t said it
Positive thoughts and fingers crossed for Melissa’s health and safety of all the other cast members.
@Sandy – I agree. Please just let them DANCE!!!
I think Karina’s injury looks very scary as well even though she claims she is Ok now. I wish you guys would let that small video to be posted.
@Alicia, to what small video are you referring?
I hope she is OK, you don’t mess with a head/neck injury,#Alicia I personally don’t wish to watch her get injured, it was bad enough when it happened to Kym.
Thoughts and prayers with Melissa. Head and neck injuries are quite scary. I hope Karina will be ok too.
Sending the warmest thoughts and prayers to Melissa. I hope she is okay!
So Melissa got hurt during the Tango, not the freestyle. Tricks and lifts may be risky, but injures can happen anytime. Tango doesn’t seen like a dangerous dance at all but she is still got hurt. Just like Shawn, she did gymnastic for years and never had a real injured, the first time she went skiing she blow her knee.
Happy she is out of the hospital, that means that is not very dangerous.
Maybe since there is no elimination this week, she can sit for a couple days, is going to be hart to get votes without actually dancing, but a least she still have a chance.
#32… Karina tweeted a twit vid last night showing her getting a bunch of shots in her shoulder. I think she said it was a spasm.
A new rehearsal interview with Tony and Melissa has been added…most likely filmed last Friday? Be sure to read the ET link too.
Guys, there is a post coming up shortly on Karina and Apolo. Stay tuned.
The E! News article report that it happened during the Tango sounded more like speculation to me and based on one of her tweets. All the other reports say it was during the group rehearsal. So maybe none of them know for sure.
I hope she is okay. I think the celebs this year is taking this competition way to seriously it is not worth hurting yourself in the long run.
This is suppose to be a fun competition and I think most of them are taking the fun from it all.
I hope she is able to continue in the competition.
Another update on Melissa’s injury has been added to the first post from Access Hollywood.
When Melissa reportedly got hurt, Shawn had tweeted that she was already home and sleepy. I think it had to be during Tango, based on timing.
Just catching up on the news and was shocked when I saw this one on Melissa’s injury! All I could think of when I read it was Kym’s neck injury *shudder*
I’m relieved to know Melissa was allowed to go home rather than stay overnight at the hospital. That’s a good sign.
Poor Tony; I bet he’s blaming himself.
The post has been updated again with video footage of Melissa’s injury. Also note that “Melissa’s ability to perform in tonight’s show will be a show time decision”. Wow, I hope she won’t dance. It’s not worth risking more injury.
I agree is better if sits this one out. Chelsie will probably dance in her place.
Watching the video I’m still trying to figure out how happened, it wasn’t a very hard step, did she hit her head on the floor or hurt her neck when tony was getting her out of the floor, this is one those strange accidents for sure.
Looks kinda like a whiplash type injury. Definitely not as scary looking as Kym’s but it probably hurts like an SOB.
Thanks for all the updates, Vogue! I agree with you as well. The MBT isn’t worth risking further injury
YW and thanks too!!!
I hope Melissa does whatever is right for her health and safety. It’s just a sparkly dance show after all.
Do I remember correctly that Jennifer Grey danced the 2nd night of the finale with a herniated disc? It’s irrelevant to Melissa’s injury of course, but am just curious.
I tweeted Louis and said “What will happen with the team dance if Melissa can’t perform?” and he just responded with “Melissa is totally fine
”, so maybe this means she’s ok enough to perform tonight.
Cool, I hope so Matt!!
Thanks for asking Louis in a tweet Matt, and I’m glad he responded! Great news!
Thanks for that, Matt!
I hope she really is fine and isn’t just being a “soldier” and risking herself for “the good of the team.” Nobody on her team would want her to do that!
Shawn just tweeted a picture of them in costume and Melissa looks fine
Yeah, Jennifer spent the day of the finale at the hospital.