Julia Stiles has clapped back at Andy Cohen over his past dancing critique.
The ’10 Things I Hate About You’ actor, 44, revealed during the September 23 episode of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ that Cohen once mocked her moves on his SiriusXM show Radio Andy back in 2025. Stiles made the disclosure during rehearsal footage with her pro partner Ezra Sosa, explaining that the ‘Watch What Happens Live’ host’s words had cut deep enough to derail her dance training entirely.
Cohen’s original comment came during a conversation with Stiles’ former ‘Save the Last Dance’ co-star Kerry Washington. “Can we all just agree that Julia Stiles is not the greatest dancer on the planet?” he said on air, referencing Stiles’ 2001 film where she played a ballerina auditioning for Juilliard. The dance sequence in that movie was actually performed by a stunt double, a fact Stiles later revealed.
The criticism stuck with her for years. Stiles told Sosa that Cohen’s remark became so “imprinted into [her] brain” that she “stopped taking dance classes because people expected her to be this perfect dancer.” She also branded Cohen a “diva” during the rehearsal segment.
Her comeback plan is now firmly centered on the ballroom. “[To] win the Mirrorball [trophy], sit on Andy’s [‘WWHL’] couch and be like, ‘Hey’,” she joked to Sosa.
Stiles’ debut performance on the September 15 season premiere already gave her ammunition. She and Sosa performed a Quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” that earned 18/30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, who praised it as “graceful” and “radiant.” The routine placed them high on the Season 35 leaderboard.
Judge Derek Hough piled on during the live broadcast with a direct message to Cohen: “Andy Cohen, you can eat it!”
Cohen responded within hours on his Bravo show ‘Watch What Happens Live,’ naming himself “Jackhole of the Day,” He shared a clip of himself dancing at a concert alongside his mea culpa.
“Julia, I am so sorry. I’m the last person who should be giving anyone feedback on their dancing,” he said. “Great job, Julia Stiles. You killed it tonight! You did amazing tonight.”
He continued to the audience: “This diva gives all of you permission to flood my inbox with 10 things you hate about me.”
The premiere episode marked Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough’s return as co-hosts for the two-night season kickoff at 8 p.m. ET. The new cast includes ‘The Celebrity Traitor US’ star Maura Higgins and Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn alongside Stiles.
For Stiles, the performance carried weight beyond Cohen. She shared on the show that Parton had personally approved “9 to 5” specifically for her just weeks before the country legend’s death.
“I’m so honored to be dancing to her music and honoring her legacy,” Stiles said. “She’s such a powerhouse and the song is so great. Like, it’s such an anthem. What a legend.”
Stiles and Sosa will continue competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy as Season 35 progresses.