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Rock legend Gene Simmons has infuriated Dancing with the Stars viewers, who found his comments directed at many of the female celebrities and dancers to be “misogynistic” and “creepy.”
The co-founder and co-lead singer of rock band Kiss, 75, was welcomed as the celebrity guest judge on Tuesday’s (October 8) episode of the ABC reality dance competition series.
Sitting among the panel of judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, Simmons took turns chiming in to provide feedback to the contestants after their routines.
However, he seemed to focus a lot of his attention and praise on the contestants’ physical attributes.
Speaking to 24-year-old actor and singer Chandler Kinney following her Jive with partner Brandon Armstrong, Simmons quipped: “Chandler, you fogged up my glasses.
“You moved me, not with your gyrations… but your beautiful face and how you were into the emotion of it – top to bottom,” the “See You Tonite” singer said before directing his attention to Armstrong, saying: “You’re pretty good too.”
Earlier in the night, a shirtless Danny Amendola performed the Paso Doble with his partner Whitney Carson.
“This is a brand new experience for me,” Simmons said, “and it’s difficult to look at both of you and to figure out which one is more hot, hot, hot.”
When fellow judge Tonioli tried to suggest that he could go “both ways,” Simmons wagged his finger while insisting: “No, no, no.”
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He instead continued to tell Amendola: “You are right next to somebody – one of the more beautiful women on the planet – she makes you look good.”
Elsewhere in the episode, he referred to Family Matters alum Reginald VelJohnson’s dance partner Emma Slater as “a beautiful woman” who can “twist and turn it and knows how to move it and all that.”
During and after the night’s episode, several viewers took to X to express their anger at Simmons’ comments, with one writing: “Can we get Gene Simmons off the stage immediately pls i cannot take these misogynistic comments.”
“Gene Simmons is seriously sucking all the energy out of the ballroom with his creepy comments about the female dancers,” a second agreed.
A third said: “Hey gene! just wanna remind you that this is a dancing show, NOT a beauty contest. respectfully never come back pls and thank you #DWTS.”
“Gene Simmons hitting on every breathing woman in that damn ballroom,” a fourth tweeted, alongside a gif of Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller angrily saying: “I’ve had it, enough.”
Another argued that he made “the worst guest judge on Dancing with the Stars,” with another calling on ABC to “issue an apology after having Gene Simmons on there and subjecting their cast to that. Why didn’t a producer tell him to knock it off?”
The Independent has contacted ABC and Simmons’ representative for comment.
The fourth week of the competition ended in another double elimination, sending both VelJohnson and actor Eric Roberts home.
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8pm with episodes available to stream on Hulu the next day.