DWTS fans left in tears as Julia Stiles pays emotional tribute to late co-star Heath Ledger before shock elimination news

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By JACQUELINE LINDENBERG 04:20 21 Oct 2026, updated 04:23 21 Oct 2026

Dancing With The Stars left viewers stunned over shock elimination news after Julia Stiles paid an emotional tribute to her late co-star Heath Ledger during week six of the dance competition series.

The latest episode was an eventful one, with pro ballroom dancer Kym Johnson joining Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli as a guest judge for the big night.

The theme of week six was Dedication Night, leaving the live audience and judges sometimes in tears after a number of moving performances for the evening.

Viewers were also shocked when it was revealed that there would be no eliminations, and all 10 couples still remaining will be moving on to the next round.

Stiles, 45, closed out the episode with the final performance as she dedicated her routine to Ledger. The pair had previously starred in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You.

She took to the dance floor with pro dance partner Ezra Sosa as they performed a contemporary routine to the song Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli.

The actress wore a blue dress with shimmering details as she confidently moved about the ballroom floor.

At the end of the choreography, a picture of Stiles and Ledger in the movie appeared on screen in the background.

She was then joined on stage by her former castmates from the 1999 film, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Gabrielle Union and Susan May Pratt.

They all stood next to each other while looking up at the image before coming together for an emotional embrace.

The actress’s performance was labeled as ‘healing,’ and Stiles reflected that Ledger had ‘brought out the light in everybody.’

Both she and Sosa garnered a score of 36/40 after receiving nines from the judges.

During a video package before the performance, Stiles could be seen reflecting on her friendship with the late actor amid rehearsals.

‘I learned a lot from Heath,’ Stiles expressed to Sosa. ‘It was so easy with him.’

The actress continued, ‘I have so many great memories. I really wish I could pick up the phone, and be like, “Hey dude.”‘

Social media users soon took to X to share their thoughts over the performance, with one penning, ‘The Julia Stiles trib[ute] to Heath Ledger on DWTS…I’m in bits.’

Another wrote, ‘JULIA STILES DEDICATING HER DANCE HEATH LEDGER AND THE 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT U CAST IS THERE IM STILL CRYING.’

‘Julia Stiles dwts i just cried at work,’ a fan typed, and one added, ‘Julia Stiles dedicating her dance for Heath Ledger. The Poem voiceover, The Rose, and Entire Cast at the end. My Millennial Heart.’

Another said, ‘When I say I literally cried…. I MEAN IT! at the beautiful touchy poem and the whole cast gathered together to honor Heath Ledger OH BEAUTIFUL! JULIA STILES I LOVE YOU.’

Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn took to the stage for an emotional contemporary dance in tribute to her sister Brooke, who had been by her side during hard times.

Glenn was joined by dance partner Pasha Pashkov as they danced to Sia’s track Breathe Me.

The sports star moved across the floor as her sibling joined in, acting as a figure who was saving her from Glenn’s battle with depression and anxiety.

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The judges offered critical praise over the choreography, while her ‘raw emotion’ in the dance was also applauded.

Just moments later, Glenn and Pashkov received a near perfect score of 38/40, which also happened to be the best scores of the entire season thus far.

Jenna Dewan joined forces with DWTS pro Alan Bersten, who replaced her partner Val Chmerkovskiy amid his week-long suspension.

He had been pulled from Dedication Night after he was accused of threatening to slap one of the show’s judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, over his wife Jenna Johnson’s low score on the same show.

The Step Up actress performed a moving Viennese Waltz routine with Bersten to the track Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers.

Her mother, Nancy, briefly joined in at the opening before Dewan moved across the floor with her dance partner in a flowy blue dress.

Following the performance, the judges said that the Hollywood star provided ‘fantastic’ quality and an ‘effortless’ performance.

Inaba added that Dewan had an ‘ultimate breakthrough’ on the floor.

Both she and Bersten garnered a score of 37/40 after landing a 10 and three nines from the judges.

Ezra Frech also stepped onto the ballroom floor with professional dance partner Daniella Karagach.

The pair also performed a contemporary dance to the song Bloodline by Mon Rovia in dedication to his mother Bahar.

His mom had the chance to briefly perform with her son, and the performance itself brought out an emotional reaction from the judges.

Frech was praised for his ‘brilliant lifts’ as well as giving fans and the live audience a performance that was ‘inspiring.’

The judges gave Frech and Karagach a score of 37/40 which included a 10 and three nines.

Harry Shum Jr. and his pro dancer partner Jenna Johnson danced the foxtrot to the song Stop This Train by John Mayer.

The Grey’s Anatomy actor dedicated his performance to wife Shelby, whom he tied the knot with in 2015.

His parents as well as his daughter also had the chance to join the star on stage as part of the choreography.

The judges voiced their praise of the actor and his ‘control’ on the floor.

Shum Jr. and Johnson garnered four nines from the judges, which resulted in their score of 36/40.

Jackson Olson dedicated his dance to his mother alongside pro dance partner Emma Slater.

The duo performed the Quickstep to the song L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole.

While the judges reminded the baseball player to focus on his frame in future performances, they added that the dance routine had been ‘so entertaining.’

Olson and Slater received four eights, which landed them a final score of 32/40 for the night.

Maura Higgins dedicated her performance to her home country of Ireland with dance partner Mark Ballas.

The model and Ballas performed energetic choreography to the Paso Doble, and were joined by a professional Irish dancer for the routine.

Higgins donned a sparkling green ensemble that contained a train which was made of the colors of the Irish flag.

The powerful performance was applauded by the judges as ‘amazing’ and ‘fun.’

Higgins and Ballas garnered a score of 35/40 after receiving three nines and one eight.

Tatyana Ali and her professional dance partner Jan Ravnik danced the Viennese Waltz to the song (You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am by Nancy Wilson.

The actress dedicated her performance to her late Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air co-star James Avery.

Alfonso Ribeiro, who had also starred on the show in the past, additionally joined the choreography for a special moment.

Avery had notably played Ali’s on-screen father on the series, and recorded the track that played in the background during the dance this week.

The judges labeled the performance as ‘Old Hollywood film come to life’ and applauded her ‘easy flow.’

Ali and Ravnik garnered a score of 32/40 after receiving four eights.

Tyler Cameron had a very special moment during his performance with dance partner Sharna Burgess.

The TV personality dedicated his contemporary routine to all mothers everywhere, including his own late mom.

During the performance, he was joined by fiancee Tate Madden and the couple revealed that they are expecting their first child together as a sweet voiceover played in the background.

‘You would have loved the woman I’m gonna marry,’ he told his mother in the recording as they danced.

‘All the things that made you special, I found in her. She’s gonna be the most incredible mama, just like you. And we’re gonna have a baby.’

Madden showed off her growing baby bump for the live audience and judges before Cameron lifted her up into the air.

Cameron and his fiancee also unveiled the gender of their little one live on air, and it was unveiled that they will be parents to a baby girl as pink confetti fell down inside the ballroom.

The star and Burgess received a score of 32/40.

Connor Wood joined his dance partner Rylee Arnold to perform the Viennese Waltz to the song Piano Man by Billy Joel.

The star dedicated his routine to his father Pete.

Following the performance, Hough told Wood that he has ‘come a long way’ while the judges agreed that he is the ‘most improved.’

Wood and Arnold received a score of 32/40.

The next episode of DWTS is set to air on October 27 with the theme of: Horror Movie Night.

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