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Tyra Banks Defends Lori Loughlin's Daughter Olivia Jade Joining Dancing With the Stars

By Samantha Bergeson Sep 20, 2021 9:46 PMTags

To Jade or not to Jade, that is the question. 

Lori Loughlin's influencer daughter Olivia Jade officially joined season 30 of Dancing With the Stars, but some fans are questioning whether Jade should be allowed to compete following the infamous college admissions scandal surrounding her previous enrollment at the University of Southern California. Loughlin served two months in prison and was released in Dec. 2020, after her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, served his five-month sentence

Now, Jade is ready to tell her side of the story—through dance. DWTS host Tyra Banks exclusively revealed her true thoughts on Jade joining the cast during E! News' Daily Pop on Sept. 20. And, Banks' take might surprise some viewers. 

"I think she's super brave to come out," Banks explained. "I think she's like, 'I'm tired of other people talking about me, it's time for me to tell my story, and I'm going to do it on national television and I'm going to do it on Dancing With the Stars.'"

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Everything We Know About Dancing With the Stars Season 30

Banks added, "I'm going to be right there with her, helping her tell her story. There's just so much."

As for the past scandal surrounding her family, Jade opened up about "being publicly shamed" in a TikTok video shared earlier this year. "I think we're all very quick to judge. I think we're all very quick to put people down," the influencer stated in March. "It doesn't matter if someone is going through worse, you're allowed to have a hard time in this world. But that doesn't take away from somebody else, and that shouldn't take away from you. We're all human beings."

Jade joins an all-star lineup of competitors, including JoJo Siwa, recent Bachelor Matt JamesSpice Girls' Mel CBling Empire's Christine Chiu and E!'s We Got Love Teyana & Iman star Iman Shumpert for season 30, premiering tonight, Sept. 20. 

"We got to go big," host Banks joked. "It's 30! I mean, the first outfit I'm going to have out, people are going to be like, 'Tyra's lost her mind.' And I think it's important to lose your mind when it's season 30. I think it's important to do things loud and flashy."

ABC/Laretta Houston

As for the A-list contestants this season, Tyra especially is proud of JoJo. "I am a huge fan of what JoJo Siwa is doing in being the first person to dance with the same sex," the host added. "I think it is needed, I think it is now. It is where the world is, and she is opening up the doors for so many people to go through those and feel safe and accepted for who they are." 

Watch the full interview with Tyra above to also hear why she's returning to the runway, and how she plans on being more "transparent" on DWTS!

Dancing With the Stars returns tonight, Sept. 20 on ABC.