Brooks Nader made it very clear how she felt about younger sister Sarah Jane Nader’s surprisingly short run on “Dancing With the Stars.” After Sarah Jane and professional partner Hailey Bills were eliminated during the second night of the Season 35 premiere on September 16, Brooks reacted publicly with one blunt word: “Robbed.”
Sarah Jane and Bills had only just made their competitive debut, performing a jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.” The judges gave them 14 points out of 30, leaving them with the second-lowest score among the eight female celebrities who performed that evening.
The judges enjoyed parts of the routine but identified clear technical problems. Sarah Jane and Bills struggled with synchronization and missed steps, leaving them vulnerable once the judges’ scores were combined with the audience vote.
Their elimination nevertheless surprised many viewers because another couple had finished below them on the judges’ leaderboard. Social media quickly filled with fans questioning the result and arguing that Sarah Jane and Bills deserved more time to develop their partnership.
Brooks clearly agreed. When E! News shared an Instagram post about Sarah Jane’s elimination on September 17, the former “DWTS” contestant went straight to the point in the comments, writing simply, “Robbed.”
Her disappointment apparently began inside the ballroom. An eyewitness told The U.S. Sun that Brooks appeared visibly upset when Sarah Jane’s name was announced, with her expression reportedly shifting from heartbreak to anger. The witness also claimed Brooks mouthed profanities, although that account comes from an unnamed observer and has not been independently confirmed.
The early exit was particularly significant because Sarah Jane and Bills were making history with their partnership. Sarah Jane had spoken before the premiere about how meaningful it was to dance with another woman and said she considered the opportunity an honor.
Sarah Jane’s own response to being eliminated was considerably more accepting than her sister’s. She said she and Bills had hoped to remain in the competition and already had ideas for future routines, but she emphasized how grateful she was for the experience and the relationship they developed.
She also came away with a new appreciation for what Brooks experienced when she competed on “Dancing With the Stars.” Brooks appeared on Season 33 with Gleb Savchenko and was eliminated during Week 4, after Sarah Jane and her other sisters had even joined her for a family-themed performance.
Before Sarah Jane entered Season 35, Brooks had already offered her younger sister some playful advice based on her own experience. Brooks encouraged her to concentrate on dancing rather than becoming distracted by romance, a joking reference to the attention surrounding Brooks and Savchenko during their season.
The Nader sisters apparently did not allow the disappointing elimination to ruin the entire evening. According to the original report, the family later turned Sarah Jane’s early departure into a humorous moment, teasing her about becoming the first Nader sister eliminated from “DWTS” after only one performance.
Sarah Jane’s Mirrorball pursuit may have lasted only one night, but she left emphasizing gratitude rather than anger. Brooks, meanwhile, needed only a single word to summarize her opinion of the result. Between the judges’ scores, strong fan reactions and Brooks declaring her sister “robbed,” Sarah Jane’s unusually quick elimination has already become one of the most discussed moments of the Season 35 premiere.
