Charity Lawson Reveals Mental Health Struggles on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Lawson, accustomed to the generally conservative atmosphere of Bachelor Nation, encountered a degree of harsh criticism on her personal and DWTS social media platforms that surpassed anything she had previously experienced. Essentially, she was targeted for simply being there, with people criticizing not just her dancing style but also her personality.

During a chat on Cheryl Burke’s Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast, Lawson opened up about her struggles with mental health during season 32 of the popular dance competition series.

As a devoted follower, I shared my dismay with Burke, to which Lawson, a seasoned child and family therapist, replied, “Was it truly surprising? To be honest, I’m not sure if it was shocking. However, considering the circumstances, perhaps it was somewhat anticipated.”

Lawson had assumed that Dancing with the Stars would prove less challenging following the criticism she received on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but instead, it proved to be significantly more difficult.

Lawson faced constant death threats due to her mere existence, allegedly poor performance, and being viewed as arrogant and self-important. She described this ongoing experience as deeply harmful, night after night.

She said that while she had blocked and filtered out hurtful comments on her own Instagram page, the official show account hadn’t— even after Chigvintsev brought the issue to executives. 

Lawson choked back tears as she shared her journey depicted in the movie, discussing the unique hurdles she encounters being a Black woman on reality television. “It feels like there’s no shield in place for me,” she expressed.

In the course of rehearsals, I found myself revisiting some challenging periods where I consciously tried to blank out my moves, hoping that I would be eliminated.

Lawson stated that she had the ability to moderate comments on her personal accounts, but the main Dancing with the Stars pages allowed negative remarks to remain. This is where the emotional and mental strain became particularly challenging for her.

At the end, Lawson made a heartfelt assertion that race significantly influenced her DWTS experience, which undoubtedly sparked thoughts among viewers about the everyday struggles faced by public figures, particularly women of color.

At one stage, she was contemplating pulling out of the contest merely to escape the harassment, but instead chose to persevere in order to honor her dedication and effort.

In the year 2023, Lawson competed on the 32nd season of The Bachelorette. Notably, Actress Xochitl Gomez, known for her role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy claimed the title as champions. Despite finishing in fourth place, Lawson garnered positive feedback from the judges throughout the competition.