Tyra Banks Defends Olivia Jade Being Cast on 'Dancing with the Stars'
There's a whole new group of celebs and pro-partners on Dancing with the Stars Season 30, including Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli's daughter Olivia Jade. And, um, some fans are questioning why Olivia was cast on the show considering she's famous—at least in part—because her parents spent $500,000 in bribes to get her and her sister into school during the College Admissions Scandal.
But despite some fans questioning the choice to cast Olivia, host Tyra Banks is here for the decision.
"I think Olivia is so brave. I think people don't know her, they know what happened to her," Tyra tells Entertainment Tonight. "She has said that she did not know about what was going on and it's really sad, and it's very hurtful when something publicly happens but you had nothing to do with it. So I trust that she says she didn't know."
"She is having to deal with that and I think she's coming to Dancing With the Stars to be able to tell her story and show her vulnerability," Tyra continued. "And is she a celebrity? Not traditionally, but what is a celebrity today? If that's the case then there's no Instagram influencer that is a celebrity. We are in a whole different world and celebrity has taken a turn and a change. If people are talking about you, you're famous. And you can be on Dancing With the Stars."
Olivia also spoke to the outlet about her participation on the upcoming DWTS season, saying "I just want to make it very clear that it is important to learn from the past and I am a big believer in second chances. I am still young and I am still trying to figure it out and I hope that I just continue to grow every day. And I think because this process is so challenging, you learn so much about yourself, which I am excited for. [I'm] putting myself outside of my comfort zone."
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