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Backstage at DWTS: Why Was Everyone Crying and "Disappointed" Tonight?

Martinez admits his ankle is feeling "sore" and feels the injury hindered his performance tonight, while Rob Kardashian is feeling better than ever

By Tierney Bricker Nov 15, 2011 6:10 AMTags
JR MartinezValerie Macon/Getty Images

Watch out, Dancing With the Stars contestants: your emotions are showing.

Backstage at DWTS, emotion was the word of the night for three of the remaining contestants (Maks Chmerkovskiy and Hope Solo opted out of press tonight), as they talked about the video packages that played before their dances and their surprising reactions (and their mothers'!) to watching them. There were tears.

Plus, how is J.R. Martinez's twisted ankle holding up? 

"I'm a little disappointed," J.R. admits of his performance (he ended the night in third place). "Obviously, I injured my ankle. We worked so hard all week and then on Friday I twisted my ankle and the routines weren't delivered the way that we would have liked." He adds that he and partner Karina Smirnoff could have scored high on their tango if it wasn't for his injury. "When I spun her around on the floor there was another lift, it was a really powerful move but the way it puts pressure on my leg, it didn't feel right."

As for how he's feeling right now, J.R. admits,  I'm sore. I'm sore right now but you know it is what it is. I'm just going to rest my ankle as much as I can this week and hopefully America will put us through." 

Back to the tear-jerky video packages, Karina wishes she hadn't watched it before performing. "I wish we didn't because it kind of took us out of the moment," she says. "I saw his eyes fill up with tears and it made it really hard to concentrate." J.R. simply says, "It's really cool that we get to show America a different side of us."

Ricki Lake says she tried not to let the sentimental video shown tonight affect her performance. "Derek [Hough] didn't want me to watch [the video]. But I couldn't help but see some of those images," she says. "I was twice the size I am now and I've worked really hard to have the body I have. I got really emotional."

Also emotional was Rob Kardashian's mom Kris Jenner, who cried after watching her son perform. " I mean for her to cry, to see me doing something that she never in her life would have imagined me doing, I shocked myself. So she's probably shocked and happy," he says.

Rob scored his first 10 of the competition tonight and says it " felt really great." but admits he was surprised that he and partner Cheryl Burke won the cha cha. "We never thought we would win the cha cha. We obviously wanted to but didn't expect that," he tells us. "We're super appreciative and happy and we can't believe we're in the semi-finals."

Though he says he's "super exhausted" and calls this week "the longest week" of his life, Rob is committed to bringing home the mirror ball trophy. "I'm really going to work harder than ever because we are in the home stretch."

What did you think of tonight's show? Do you think J.R.'s ankle injury will cost him the competition? Does Rob have a shot at winning now that he's scored a 10?