Elaine Hendrix was rushed to the hospital ahead of Dancing With the Stars Halloween Night after experiencing an injury during rehearsal.
“Now, as you’ve probably noticed, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten are not here,” DWTS cohost Alfonso Ribeiro said during the show’s Tuesday, October 28, live show. “She suffered an injury in rehearsal this morning. Right now, she’s at the hospital being assessed.”
He added, “They’re still in the competition and still need your votes. We’ll explain more later on.”
DWTS showed video clips of Hendrix, 54, in tears from earlier on Tuesday. Hendrix also took to social media to address her absence.
“Halloween is my favorite, and I’m devastated,” she captioned the clip, looking visibly emotional while lying in her hospital bed. “I was beyond excited to share what we had worked so hard on, although you’ll see a version of it. With your support, I’ll be back in the ballroom next week. I want nothing more.”
The actress has been praised throughout the competition for progressing weekly despite experiencing a car accident decades ago that left lingering issues with her foot.
“I have a titanium joint in my right foot, so that renders half my foot unusable,” Hendrix revealed during her Wicked Night intro package. “Every week, my body shifts into a new pain spot, but I just don’t want to let it stop me.”
She performed to “Defying Gravity” during the October 21 live show, and Bersten made it clear that his partner could “trust herself” and “is stronger than her injuries.”
Hendrix added, “I know my determination is going to win it, just getting there is quite a journey.”
DWTS’ Elaine Hendrix’s Best Quotes About Her Age: ‘I Just Did That!’
After the performance, judge Derek Hough couldn’t help but praise Hendrix’s determination.
“You are defying the odds, truly,” he said. “You move with such grace and wisdom, and man, are you going to cherish that moment forever.”
Throughout the competition, she has wowed the judges — and viewers — by continuing to display her strength and excitement about taking on the dance floor at her age.
“I’m on this incredible roller coaster that I don’t want to end, and I’m just loving every second of it,” Hendrix told Us Weekly exclusively earlier this month about being on DWTS. “Also, I feel like anything can happen on this show, which is wild, right?”
Hendrix has consistently reminded viewers that she is 54 years old and “just did that.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba has also gotten emotional over Hendrix’s journey throughout the competition.
“You better represent, my sister! That was amazing,” Inaba said during Disney Night on October 7. “You are redefining what it is to be an [old] … mature, wise, sexy empowered woman. That was brilliant. Your best dance. Amazing. I’m so happy!”
Hendrix, whose score has kept rising each week, had an inspiring message that same week.
“I just want to say that I am walking proof that your dreams may not go as you planned them, but it doesn’t mean that they’re not happening,” she said. “Go for our dreams!”
