Dwight Howard Reacts to ‘DWTS’ Judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s Critique

Dwight Howard is breaking down his reaction to judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s criticism of his “misstep” on Dancing With the Stars.

“Nah, what she said, I was like, ‘A misstep? No,’” Howard, 38, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 22. “I just think she saw I was going slow, and she thought I made a misstep — that was our part.”

After Howard and his partner, Daniella Karagach, danced a tango to “When Can I See You Again?” from Wreck-It Ralph, Inaba, 56, said the pairing are at “such a disadvantage” due to their height difference before critiquing the performance.

“You did have a lot of mistakes and you went off time a lot this time,” Inaba said. “A little bit in the beginning, maybe I’m wrong.” Howard seemed puzzled by the critique, replying, “Take it slow.”

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Howard admitted to Us that there was “a little hiccup” earlier in the dance, but he thought “nobody noticed” besides him and Karagach, 31. “I noticed it,” Karagach quipped, to which Howard replied, “I know, nobody but us!”

Karagach said she told the NBA star to “slow down” in the moment — which he claimed he did. “I got the rebound, put it back up, and I dunked it,” Howard said, referencing basketball terminology.

Despite the feedback, Inaba and fellow judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each gave Howard and Karagach eights for their routine. After their individual dance and group routine, the duo were ultimately tied at the bottom of the leaderboard with Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy as well as Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold.

However, Howard and Karagach were safe from eliminations this week, with the Bravo star, 50, and Chmerkovskiy, 38, saying goodbye to the ballroom after their jazz dance to “Cruella de Vil” from 101 Dalmatians.

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When it comes to their partnership, Howard credited Karagach for always telling him the truth. “What’s magical about my partner is that she’s the most honest person, and that’s the best,” he gushed to Us. “Honesty is always the best policy, and I love that. You know, she’s always telling the truth and always being honest. When you have a partner like that, you can submit and give them full trust.”

Karagach, for her part, called Howard “the best person.” She added, “He’s always very positive. So, if you’re not in a good mood, Dwight will always put you in a good mood.”

Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. You can stream episodes on Disney+ the next day.

With reporting by Carly Konsker