Alix Earle Reveals Painful ‘DWTS’ Struggles with Bruises, Exhaustion, and a Lost Toenail
It’s with a heavy heart, but fans of Dancing with the Stars now see the real wounds behind Alix Earle’s dazzling performances. The influencer recently shared raw, painful footage of the toll DWTS Season 34 is taking on her body — bruises, exhaustion, and even a lost toenail.
In a TikTok video over the weekend, Alix admitted that her collarbone is badly bruised. She revealed that in rehearsal one day, a toenail came off. She also described her knees feeling like they’re “breaking” under the strain and said that after just small bursts of dancing she often needs to collapse (literally) to the floor to take a break.
Even though she’s going through this, Alix hasn’t backed away. She’s been pushing herself toward ambitious dance moves she’s never done before. She admits to moments of doubt — feeling unsure if she can pull some of the tricks off — but her resolve remains strong. Amid the pain she jokes, she laughs a little, even notes that someone should massage her hip flexors. But the laughter feels thin, like it’s there to keep the fear and fatigue at bay.
Her life has shifted in ways most of us would find hard to imagine. Gone are late nights out, casual meals, leisurely hangouts. Her days are structured around dance rehearsal, recovery, and making changes to her sleep schedule and diet just to keep up. She even said her TikTok feed is no longer full of fun nights out — dancing has become everything.
Her debut performance was impressive: she danced the cha-cha to Britney Spears’ “Circus” with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy. That routine included a whip, actual flames — dramatic, bold, a big statement. But behind that spectacle was pain. She says the stamina needed is more than she expected. Even something she once considered small — finishing the full rehearsal without gasping or pausing — now feels like a mountain.
Throughout all this, Alix draws strength from personal support. Her boyfriend, NFL player Braxton Berrios, encourages her during moments of vulnerability. He reminds her that nerves aren’t a weakness but a sign she’s pushing beyond comfort. She also recalls watching DWTS as a child with her grandmother, dreaming of one day being on that stage. Now, that childhood wish is coming true — but with a cost she perhaps didn’t fully foresee.
There’s sadness in knowing how much this is hurting her, physically and mentally. But there’s also something inspiring in her grit. She’s bleeding for her art, bruised but not defeated. DWTS fans will see more of her struggles, but also, likely, more of her strength.
Source: People.com
