Heavy/Disney Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran.
“Dancing With the Stars” fans questioned an intro package for one of the first team dances of season 33.
In season 33, the remaining eight couples split up into two teams for an extra dance round. The Team Goofs group performed a freestyle inspired by” The Goofy Movie.” The team included Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, actress Chandler Kinney and former Bachelor Nation stars Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran.
Tran, who was one of Graziadei’s contestants on his “Bachelor” season when it aired on ABC in early 2024, ended up in his arms during the dance—as his fiancé Kelsey Anderson watched from the studio audience.
“Dancing” fans had strong opinions on the move. Fans also reacted to a photo of the exes kissing that was included in the intro package.
Fans Speculated About the Inclusion of the Photo
The intro package for the Disney-themed dance featured Tran talking about her past history with Graziadei. She narrowly missed the hometown dates, landing in 5th place on his season of the ABC dating show. Graziadei’s “Bachelor” season filmed in late 2023.
Tran went on to headline the 21st season of “The Bachelorette,” where her heart was broken by her short-time fiancé, Devin Strader.
“Looking back last year being on Joey’s ‘Bachelor’ season, I [did] not think that we’d both be dancing together right now,” she said in a DWTS rehearsal clip. A photo then popped up that showed Tran and Graziadei kissing during a one-on-one date on “The Bachelor.”
“Joey may not have given me a rose, but he’s giving me a lift at this point in the competition,” she added.
The group dance included Graziadei lifting Tran up in the air for a massive lift. But the intimate move wasn’t the only thing that fans reacted to.
In a thread on Reddit, fans felt the segment with the kissing photo was interesting.
“DWTS including a photo of them kissing from his season during the opening package was… a choice,” one Reddit user wrote.
“I thought that was so weird,” another noted.
“Yes I thought it was weird especially with his fiancée in the audience,” a third chimed in.
“lol true but they probably just wanted to shock viewers who don’t watch the bachelor,” another wrote.
“It felt so unnecessary!! There were so many cute pictures of the 2 of them from his season they could have chosen, and they chose one of them leaning in for a kiss?? 😵💫” another asked.
“He said he loved kissing Jenn lol, he definitely was enamored by her. But I think they were not compatible,” another recalled of the Bachelor Nation connection.
“ABC producers are hella trifling in the name of support and love whether it’s Bachelor producers or DWTS,” another viewer added.
Anderson hasn’t commented on the Joey-Jenn flashback photo. She previously told Us Weekly she was “tired” of comments about her fiancé dancing with his pro partner Jenna Johnson.
Jenn Tran Said She’d Rather Dance Than Kiss on TV
Ahead of her group dance alongside Graziadei, Tran danced a “Little Mermaid”- themed rumba with her pro partner Sasha Farber.
In an interview with “Good Morning America,” she was asked if she likes dancing on TV better than being kissed on TV.
“Dancing to ‘Kiss the Girl,’” she said. “Nobody needs to smooch me on national television anymore. I’m all set with that” she said.
Graziadei previously told Entertainment Tonight that he and his fiancée Anderson went to dinner with Tran after she filmed her disastrous “Bachelorette” season. “We got dinner, and we wanted to be able to support her before her finale and everything,” said Graziadei. “I’m really happy for her and I’m glad she’s here.”