Gene Simmons has been slammed for making "offensive" comments while starring as a guest judge on "Dancing With The Stars."
The glam rock veteran appeared alongside Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and Carrie Ann Inaba to decide the fate of 11 pairs who returned to the dance floor Thursday for a "rock n’ roll" edition. However, some of his comments sparked backlash on social media.
In one instance, while giving feedback to former NFL player Danny Amendola and his partner Witney Carson, Simmons commented that he couldn't determine who was more "hot, hot, hot" between them, according to Forbes, which noted that he awarded the duo a nine, while the other judges gave them sevens.
In another instance, Simmons gave Phaedra Parks a lower score than the other judges without critique and drew audience boos when he mainly commented on Reginald VelJohnson’s partner’s appearance.
"Hey Reggie, you've got a beautiful woman right beside you who can twist it and turn it and knows how to move it and all that," he said, via Blabbermouth. "But I want to tell you, as a guy that's been on the stage for half a century around the world, I'm kind of a big deal, Reggie. It's all in the attitude. And you've got something in that beautiful face. They love you."
It was not long before viewers hopped onto social media to air their grievances.
"it's only the first dance and i'm already over gene simmons being a creep #DWTS," one viewer wrote on X.
"Gene Simmons was the worst #DWTS guest judge ever. His comments were completely inappropriate for a family show and disrespectful of the female contestants. If DWTS insists on guest judges, stick to someone who understands the art of dance beyond mastering a stripper's pole," another wrote.
"You can really tell that this guest judge is racist and sexist based off the scores that he's giving!. This is absolutely ridiculous and disgusting shame on you guys for having him as a judge!" a third chimed in, according to Blabbermouth.
"gene simmons literally salivating over the woman on dancing with the stars is disgusting i don't think they could've picked a worse person to be in this role," another X user added.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.