Zendaya, now known for her standout roles in Dune and Euphoria, still hasn’t quite shaken off her feelings about finishing second on Dancing With the Stars during its 16th season in 2013. She and her professional partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, were runners-up to American Idol alum Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough, an outcome that has left a lasting impression on the actress.
In a recent W Magazine cover story, Zendaya admitted she no longer keeps up with the long-running ABC dance competition, which she joined at just 16 years old. Reflecting on the experience, she acknowledged the intensity of competing on live television each week and the emotional weight of falling short of the Mirrorball Trophy.
“I’m still harboring a little animosity about that,” Zendaya confessed when the interviewer remarked that she and Chmerkovskiy “should have won.” The young Disney Channel star, who was then a familiar face on shows like Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover, had already built a foundation in singing, acting, and dancing, which made the loss particularly hard to swallow.
“At 16, it felt devastating,” Zendaya said. “I felt that loss deeply. Being on live television every week was so scary—it was highly stressful.”
Zendaya also shared a bit of hindsight wisdom, wishing her teenage self had taken a more relaxed approach to the competition. “I took it very seriously, which, in retrospect, I wish I hadn’t. I wish I’d just enjoyed it more and thought, ‘Eh, whatever.’ Instead, I was stressing myself out. I really went through it.”
During the 2013 finale, Zendaya and Chmerkovskiy performed a samba, a freestyle, and a jive, earning perfect scores from the judges. Despite their polished routines, they ultimately placed second to Pickler and Hough, whose performances secured the top spot.
Looking back, Zendaya has spoken openly about her mixed feelings regarding the show. On an October episode of Entertainment Weekly’s The Awardist podcast, she admitted she was never a dedicated viewer of Dancing With the Stars—even before competing.
“I didn’t really watch Dancing With the Stars before I was on it,” she revealed. “I don’t think I was the target demographic. My grandma loves Dancing With the Stars—that’s her thing. But for me, it was such a stressful experience that I decided, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to keep watching this.’”
While her ballroom journey may not have ended with a Mirrorball Trophy, Zendaya’s reflections reveal both the challenges of performing under pressure and the lessons she’s carried forward from that experience.
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