‘DWTS’ Says It Turned Down Casting Taryn Manning After She Claimed They Asked
Not on the same page. Taryn Manning claimed Dancing With the Stars invited her to join the cast “many times,” but the show insists her team attempted to get her in the ballroom.
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The Orange Is the New Black alum, 41, made the allegations during a promo video for the new rolling robot Gita.
“I’ve been asked to be on Dancing With the Stars many times,” she said. “I have this weird phobia that [competing on the show] means you’re a has-been, and I never want to believe that’s the case.”
Manning added, “Maybe it’s my own stuff, but, yeah, I’m definitely a good dancer.”
The show’s rep denied Manning’s allegations in a statement to Page Six on Thursday, October 15.
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“Taryn claims she’s been asked to join the cast ‘many times,’ however, we have never asked Taryn to be part of the show,” the rep said. “Her representation attempted to pitch her to us a while back and we kindly passed. So, her claim that she was asked to join DWTS once, never mind many times, is completely false.”
The rep added, “Her thoughts that the contestants consist of ‘has-beens’ seems to be her own projection onto talent that we have asked to cast.”
The season 29 cast includes Carole Baskin, Nelly, Nev Schulman, Jeannie Mai, Anne Heche, Chrishell Stause, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jesse Metcalfe, and Johnny Weir, among others. The show also weathered a major shake-up when ABC tapped Tyra Banks to replace longtime hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews.
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Carrie Ann Inaba told Us Weekly on Monday, October 12, that although she misses the hosting duo, she’s blown away by what Banks, 46, is bringing to the table.
“I miss Tom and Erin … because we’re like family. I don’t get to see them every week. But I do think Tyra’s brought an amazing energy. I mean, it’s been controversial, yes — let’s just say it — it has been,” the Dancing With the Stars judge, 52, said. “But what I think is that she has an excitement to her that is sort of hard to put words to. That’s what makes people want to tune in. She’s so passionate about what she does, and I’m loving that she’s bringing this fashion game to the show.”
