‘DWTS’ winner opens up about struggle with rare condition affecting only 0.3% of people: ‘My body is...’
Hannah Brown, an American model and former beauty pageant titleholder, won hearts as a celebrity dancer on 'Dancing with the Stars'. Paired with professional pro-dancer Alan Bersten, she stepped onto the 'DWTS' stage for season 28, which premiered on September 16, 2019. Through hard work, dedication, and a lot of unforgettable performances, Brown ended up winning the season along with dancing partner Alan Bersten as the two took home the Mirror Ball Trophy.
Brown kicked off her 'DWTS' journey in week 1 with an energetic performance to Whitney Houston’s 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)', instantly earning praise for her confidence and enthusiasm. For the finale, Brown performed a Viennese waltz to 'Lover' and a freestyle to 'Girl on Fire' by Alicia Keys and 'Hollaback Girl' by Gwen Stefani. In January 2025, Hannah reunited with her partner Bersten for a special performance at the Snow Ball Red Carpet Gala, an event hosted by Bersten and his family.
However, recently, the 30-year-old 'DWTS' star was diagnosed with uterus didelphys, which is a rare condition where an individual is born with two uteruses, and as the name suggests, it is often referred to as a double uterus and can cause pregnancy complications and painful menstruation. Brown opened up about her experience with the rare condition, which is so unique that it only affects about 0.3% of the population. In an episode of the 'Heal Squad' podcast, Brown went on to say, "These moments in life where everything changed, I haven't had that experience; it's just been a stepping stone. I will say that experience was huge for me, because behind the scenes, I’ve really been struggling with a lot of health issues before that almost made me not want to go on [Special Forces]."
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Brown continued to state how she felt about her condition. "I was just feeling really bad in every sense of the word, and I had really questioned my strength, like how strong I could be physically and mentally, and questioned my worth and if I was enough." Brown then went on to speak about how this condition has affected her. "I remember this one day. My body is always hurting. Everything is physically tough to do; walking feels like a struggle, like you don't feel light."
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However, after getting a variety of tests done, the 'DWTS' star found out what the condition actually was. Finally, in her closing statement as reported by Entertainment Now, Brown stated, "I’m like, ‘OK, I’m getting married this year. I will get right on that right after.’ It can definitely complicate things because can the size of the uterus hold a baby? Is one better than the other? But there have been cases of people having double uteruses and having babies and being perfectly fine."