Julia Stiles pushed back when Ezra Sosa’s tougher approach to rehearsal left her frustrated on Dancing with the Stars. By the end of their exchange, she was offering her professional partner a blunt suggestion about his sleep.
The footage aired during the October 27 Horror Movie Night episode, as they prepared an Argentine tango inspired by The Omen. Sosa wanted Stiles to hold her own against strong competition in the same dance style.
Ten couples entered the week, with guest judge Shirley Ballas joining Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli to assess their performances. The Halloween theme called for routines inspired by horror films.
Stiles’s “cranky bitch” remark came as she and Sosa were making up. She reassured him after he apologized, then teased him about becoming irritable when he was tired.
Stiles Pushes Back Against Sosa’s Repeated Corrections
Sosa began rehearsals by warning Stiles that he would not go easy on her. Jenna Dewan and Amber Glenn were also performing Argentine tangos, giving him two direct comparisons to consider as he prepared his partner.
His corrections included reminders about her footwork and avoiding heel leads. As they continued, Stiles explained that repeatedly hearing what she was doing wrong was making it harder to produce her best work.
“I just don’t respond well to frustration,” she told him, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Speaking separately to the cameras, Sosa questioned whether he had been too demanding. He said he believed in Stiles’s ability and did not want her to feel disappointed when they performed the routine.
Sosa Apologizes Before Stiles Delivers Her Punchline
Sosa acknowledged that he had pushed too far and apologized. Stiles told him that protecting her ego was not his responsibility and that she could handle criticism. She also recognized that learning the choreography meant listening to her coach.
Then she gave him some feedback of her own.
“I think you need to get more sleep, because you’re a cranky bitch when you’re tired,” Stiles told him.
Sosa agreed that he was tired. The remark followed Stiles telling him she loved him and that he did not need to apologize, giving the exchange an affectionate finish after the earlier tension.
Their Tango Draws a Four From Shirley Ballas
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Stiles and Sosa opened the evening’s performances, but their routine drew sharply different responses from the judges.
Ballas wanted more movement across the floor, sharper and more controlled legs, and better posture. She awarded Stiles four points, while Tonioli praised her character work and gave her an eight. Inaba and Hough each scored the dance a seven, bringing the total to 26 out of 40, according to TV Insider.
Inaba found Stiles more tense and stiff than in previous weeks. Hough described the dancing as timid and cautious, suggesting it was a setback while encouraging her to recover in the next round.
The total tied Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess for the evening’s lowest score. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, meanwhile, earned the season’s first perfect 40 for their Saw-inspired contemporary routine.
Stiles and Sosa Survive the Double Elimination
The evening’s scores did not determine the result on their own. Nobody had been eliminated during the previous episode, so judges’ scores and viewer votes from both weeks were combined.
Stiles and Sosa had 62 judges’ points across the two episodes, placing them eighth among the ten couples on that combined leaderboard. Once audience votes were included, they remained in the competition.
Cameron and Burgess were eliminated following their Bram Stoker’s Dracula-inspired Viennese waltz. Jackson Olson and Emma Slater also went home, despite earning 35 points that evening for their Joker-themed contemporary dance, as ABC7 reported.
The eight remaining couples return for Disney Night on Monday, November 2, with Cynthia Erivo joining as guest judge. The episode airs at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+, a day earlier than the show’s usual Tuesday slot.