'DWTS' pro dancer faced criticism for going under the knife — but she clearly doesn’t regret it
In addition to giving celebrities a fun chance to show off their dance moves, 'Dancing with the Stars' also lets professional dancers shine and share their talents on stage. While most of the time the spotlight is on the celebrities, there have been rare instances when it's the dancers who become the hot topic of discussion. In one such instance, a dancer’s plastic surgery got major attention, making her confess that she already knew it would definitely stir up reactions from the viewers.
Back in January 2025, 'Dancing With the Stars' professional dancer Lindsay Arnold opened up about her decision to get breast augmentation surgery, which she documented on TikTok, as per Parade. In a new interview with E! News, the dancer shared that she hoped to reduce the stigma around plastic surgery, even though she anticipated backlash. "I knew full well I would get a lot of hate and a lot of people sharing their opinions about it, mostly negative," Arnold said, noting that while some fans were supportive, criticism was expected.
@lindsarnold Last 2 weeks of training before my race 😭🙌🏼 #morningvlog #morningroutine #morningvibes #workoutroutine #running #runningvlog #halfmarathon #halfmarathontraining #momsoftiktok #earlymorning #earlymorningroutine #coldplunge ♬ original sound - Lindsay Arnold Cusick
Despite that, she made it clear she stands by her decision, as she said, "I don't care if I'm going to get [the hate] because it's my body, it's my life, and that's how I want everyone to feel about their own body and their own lives." Arnold further explained that the decision was deeply personal and rooted in self-love. "It's something that I really wanted to do for me, truly for just me," she said. Her goal in sharing her journey is to help others feel empowered to make choices for themselves, as she explained, "I want to help other people understand that it’s OK to do that. It's OK to do things for yourself. It's not selfish. It's self-love, and I hope that it kind of helped remove some of that stigma around that surgery."
Arnold also shared why she was so open about the procedure, especially on social media. "My whole mentality with social media is I'm always going to show up and be myself. I’m never going to pretend. I don't want to hide. That's just not who I am as a person," Arnold said. She further added, "It's so normal on social media now to judge others and the decisions that they make for their own selves, for their own bodies, for their lives, and I just wanted to be somebody who shows that, one, it’s going to happen, but don't let that change your decisions and what you feel is best for you."
Arnold concluded the conversation, saying, "Don't let the outside noise get to you, and just be confident in the things that you know will make you happy." Notably, Arnold departed from 'https://news.meaww.com/carrie-ann-inaba-may-be-replaced-on-dwts-as-her-unpredictable-behavior-frustrates-fellow-judges' after ten seasons in 2022. She recently shared her joy over her daughters Sage and June beginning their own dance journeys. In an exclusive interview with E! News, she said, “It obviously is so fun for me to watch them dancing just because I'm a dancer.” Arnold further explained, "But I think what makes me even happier is watching the joy and the confidence that they've gained from their tiny dance journeys that they've had so far. Truly, that's the most important thing to me."