‘Dancing with the Stars’ fans believe Witney Carson took a shot at finalist Dylan Efron before she won the Mirrorball Trophy.
In a since-deleted reel, the Season 34 champion gushed about her support for husband Carson McAllister and posted a screenshot of their text exchange.
In his message, McAllister raved about how “insanely good” his wife’s performance with partner Robert Irwin was, but observant Reddit users took notice of the exchange, which can be seen directly above.
“Zac Efron is here,” McAllister, 32, wrote, referring to the “High School Musical” star’s long-awaited arrival at the Nov. 18 semifinals to watch his brother’s game.
Carson, also 32, responded, “I get it! They’re trying to get votes.”
The pro quickly deleted the reel as many took issue with what Carson wrote about Dylan and his partner Daniela Karagacci.
“If they wanted to get votes that desperately, they could have had Zack in every week,” one person pointed out, while another pointed out that the 38-year-old actor wasn’t even included “as part of[Dylan’s]Dedication Week dance.”
Others defended Carson and suspected she was throwing shade.
One fan wrote, “I don’t know why everyone thinks she’s implying anything bad! Like, they probably wanted Zach to get more votes for Dylan, and I’m sure Witt wanted the same for Bindi and the Irwins. Nothing she said was clearly negative or even critical!”
Another claimed haters were “making this deeper than it needs to be.”
Representatives for Mr. Carson, Mr. Karagach, Mr. Zack and Mr. Dylan did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
It’s common for dance duos to strategize throughout the season to garner viewer votes.
Prince William made a surprise cameo on the Nov. 11 episode, wishing his friend Irwin luck in the competition.
Irwin also performed shirtless on the Sept. 30 show, sparking a showmance with former “DWTS” contestant Xochitl Gomez.
Dylan, in particular, insisted to Extra in October that he has no problem with Zach “doing his thing” and “supporting[him]every day” in his own way.
When Zach appeared in the audience, the “17 Again” star was all smiles as he sat front and center with his 5-year-old sister Olivia on his lap.
The former Disney Channel star wasn’t there when Dylan placed fourth and Robert, 21, and Carson won in Tuesday’s finale.
At the time, the zoologist praised Bindi, saying, “My sister said it to me best: ‘Thank you for changing my life.'”
The emotional moment marked Carson’s second top spot after winning season 19 with fellow Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro.
