You're listening to Jojasua Now with me Joja Ciua and iHeartRadio Podcast.
Welcome back to Jojaswan Now.
This is part two with my favorite human in the whole world, Jenna Johnson. I want to know you get the phone call were you were? You asked prior to meeting me if you would be open to having another female as your star.
So this is how it went down. I was called by the producers, the executives, and they were like, hey, we just wanted to talk with you really quick. And again this is before I'd been picked up, so we were all waiting for the phone call to like, oh, you're on the season. And I thought that this was just gonna be like my phone call of like oh
you're on the season. Anyway, so they were They called me and they were like, Hey, we're gonna do something really groundbreaking the season and we're gonna have the first ever same sex pairing. And I was like, oh my gosh, that's amazing, And for some reason, immediately my brain thought to boys really and so I thought they were going to be like, you know, what do you think about this? How should we approach this? Do you have any advice? Yeah, that they would be asking me for advice for it.
But literally, in my mind, I was like, they're going to have two boys, and I was like, that is amazing. The next sentence that came out of their mouth was it's a female and would you be really willing to dance with a girl this season? And I was like yes, yeah, and I said yes immediately, and I was like yes. It's like I don't know if I can't, if I'm capable of this moment, but yes, and then we hung up. They were like, oh, that would be so great. They
didn't tell me at first who it was. Yeah. Then we hang up and I sat for the rest of the day having a panic attack. Really, I was just like again because I didn't know it was you. Yeah, So I was.
Like, I think something that did make it special was that we could actually go somewhere, you know what I mean, Like we had dance that we could do, Versus if you were to do this with somebody who couldn't dance, it would have been or I mean, I guess I was jumping in a dance that I didn't know how to do.
I never had done ballroom, but it was what at least.
Could pick the language. If you went with someone with nothing, it would have been like, oh god.
And I don't want this to sound weird or creepy in anyway. But I think also I didn't know if it was going to be somebody older or my age and how that would really register to our audience, because it was such a huge moment at first. But yeah, no, that's not you know, and so I was just like, oh, like,
what is this going to even look like? So I think when then I found out it was you, I had a bit more excitement of like, Okay, I think that this could work, Like she's young, We'll be able to like hopefully dance and creative, Like we'll at least be able to be creative with this and not make
this feel cringe, because that was my biggest line. I knew that this could be such a powerful moment, and I didn't want people to be like, oh, that was disgusting, right, you know, because that's not how it is.
And a lot of times, even just in general with sexuality, a lot of people, everything is sexualized, everything is sexualized, and people are so new to it, yeah you know what I mean, And so people are gonna see I mean, it's it's kind of unfair to say because they do this anyways, with Dancing with the Stars, they see a partnership and they're like, they're married.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
But then it's somehow when it's two females, even if you're just friends, like if I'm friends with another female, people are like.
Oh my god, they are dating. Well, and then we're doing the rumba or whatever. You know, that's in my memories unlocked, good memory, good week for us. Good anyway, So I think I think I was a little bit nervous, and then once we met, Yeah, literally every fear went away because we immediately connected. So right, yeah, right, and then it was just like again, back to that, how do I prove people wrong? I wanted to be so
creative with you and show such a magical experience. And I'm so proud of us because I think week one we were expecting a lot of backlash or a lot of negativity, and everybody was so supportive. You know, it isn't throughout this season. No matter what dance we did, there was never like anything hateful or rude, which I think was so you did it in such a beautiful way. We did it in such a beautiful way. But thank you. But you know, I did make up one a count in our freestyle.
I did take my credit for and I did suggest the tinsaca and Penny.
You did no. I'm just I'm so so grateful that a I said yes, because I've never been pushed like that on the show. You know, I think you we get consistent of like, oh, I know that my guy will stand there, he'll look big, I'll do a dip on him, he'll pay me up and he'll just like and I'll be sexy around him. But this I really had to push myself creatively and I needed that.
I'm laughing because I have all these memories of any time we would go to just do something, whether Jenna was gonna jump on me or whether she was gonna dip whatever, she would just say that. She would say, stand there, be stable.
Jenna, that doesn't help. What are you gonna do? And she'd like, just be stable, and I'm like, I don't know what to expect. But all of a sudden, she's on my shoulders.
I'm like, what, hew crazy? Yeah, she she really went all the way in. Well, I got to say that I am very, very grateful that you said yes. I look at everybody on the show, and I love everybody. I love all of the pros. I could not imagine myself having any of the other females as a pro like it. I'm so grateful that the world aligned for you to be the pro that did this. I think it was something that was so big, not not even just for the LGBTQ community, but just for the world
to just normalize. You know, it is what it is, and it's two two females doing something together. Doesn't have to be in a in a over sexualized way like it just it just was so cool. It was so unique and it was done so well. But I'm I mean, I picture it all the time. I'm like, what if I.
Was with Lindsay, Like, it just wouldn't have worked. I love Lindy. I think you could have done it. But I think I think that was a big thing for me is after that phone call with the producers, you know, I sat there and I was like, well, how how will I feel if somebody else gets to dance with her? Yeah, you know, and I was like, I'll be really jealous, Like because I knew that it could be something epic.
Yeah, and you you you made it something epic. I will give you that credit all the time. Okay, So then let's we got a lot to get there. So you it's it's day one. That's the only only thing that I want to spend a lot of time on. It's day one.
Right, you're standing there.
Now, you know you're gonna have the same The pros don't necessarily know who they're getting as a star. But the press release was released that I was doing it, that I was gonna be the first same sex couple. You knew you're gonna have his first same sex couple. I walk in the door, you already know it's gonna be me, but it's your first time seeing me.
Yeah, what's going through your brain? I remember that first met I was like shaking if they had me preset in the room and they were like, okay, she's gonna walk in and I was just like here we go, just like no shaking, Like I had no idea what to expect. Again, I think, you know, everybody always visualizes you as this like massive, loud human, which you are at times, but it's but then you're also this very respectful, polite, quiet,
determined person, and I was not expecting that. So you came in with a lot of energy, which I loved, which was great, which I needed because I was like shaking in my boots, and then you were just like focused. I thought maybe you were going to be like a little rude or disrespectful or like, I don't want to do that, but I just did you. I mean I was a baby, but you just soaked in everything and
it was literally the dream partner. Like you can't ask for anybody better than somebody that has that intention going into the show.
I always say, I'm like, I don't know if Jenna will have somebody. You might have somebody that's better than me. You might have somebody that looks better than me, that's strong than me, but you will never ever ever have somebody.
That cares more than I cared. But I will stand by that you cared a lot. And last thing I'm gonna I'm gonna say about the first meat. When we first met, you were wearing so many layers and I was like, we're about to talk about day two, Okay, a lot of layers. We had like a shirt, a tank top under a jacket over like huge glittered pants, huge chunky shoes, and I was like, hey, a lot of layers. Layers I have gold. The Day two story a bunch.
I don't know if you'll remember the day two story, but I'm once I kind of get you going.
I think you'll remember. Okay, right, I remember, like a few days later story of the leotard. I always call it okay, but you go day two and then I'll go leotard. Maybe it wasn't day two.
I just remember it was very very early in the beginning, and in my brain it's day two, but I'm sure there was days in there, because there was a day where with a Mickey shirt and how to turn it inside out. You were like, we're on car, you can't wear Mickey Mouse shirt. I was like, oh, duh, obviously.
So it was a few days later. But the story of when you were you asked me in a very respectful way, and I was wearing something under it to take my shirt off, and I broke down that story but from your perspective.
And then we stood in front of the mirror. Because I've told the story of Bunch, I know how I remember it, but I want to hear it how you do. So she was wearing this like shiny blue leotard. I'll never forget it. And it was like a razorback right.
It was like a gymnastics it was. I had gotten in an adult medium.
Very high neck six straps, like it wasn't a spaghetti strap or like lo v. It was very high neck, chunky straps. And she was wearing this massive netted shirt over that kept getting caught in our hands and I was like, dude, you need to take this off, and like you kind of brushed it off at first. You're like no, no, like it's fine, you know, and I was just like okay, So we kept rehearsing. It was just getting in the way and I couldn't see your body lines,
and so I was getting upset. I was just like yes because I want to see what your body's doing. And so I was like, you need to take this off. And her face like kind of went white, pale white, and then I could kind of see like rosy cheeks happening, and then it was like a little bit eyes are welling up and she's like no, no, don't make me, please, don't make me do this. I was like, oh, oh, we're having this is the thing, and then I was like pissed at you because I was like, wait, are
you for real right now? Not because I was like just listen to me, because I was like, oh, she's very upset about how she looks.
You're the first person ever that figured it out. I ever, it was like so upsetting to me. And I kept saying like, I just I wish you could see how I see you because I just saw this like gorgeous being was so much light and anyway. So after convincing her, I just kindly asked her like please, I need you to take it off, like this is bigger than this getting caught in our hands. This is like a moment
that we need to embrace. So she took it off and she just sat in the mirror and she wouldn't look at herself in the mirror, but she was just crying tears solving, tears running down her face. And I was like, Jojo, what is going on? And I think you said something about like your arms, like I hate my arms. I don't want to look at myself.
My arms, my legs, my chest, my shoulders, everything, And so we held hands, we looked into the mirror and we were just like appreciating ourselves for a second and our gorgeous bodies that are allowing us to dance. And I just I think I remember telling you to repeat to yourself myself. I there's a very powerful book that I read that you know suggests that you say I
love myself to yourself many times a day. And for somebody that has dealt with a lot of body shaming, a lot of body dysmorphia myself and a huge body transformation, I just knew how big this moment was for you. And I wish somebody would have snapped me into gear a lot earlier so I didn't have to literally hate myself and ruin myself for years to come. So I know that that was like a really uncomfortable day, but
but it fixed me. I'm so grateful. A second and then a couple of days later, you like came in in the crop top and again, and I don't want it to be like we need to show our skin, we need to whatever, Like that's not me, But I think we need to be really cold. I was.
I was overcovering because I was so insecure. I know that it was when I started to dress normal for a dance rehearsal. It was even though like every other girl there was wearing anybity outfit, I couldn't like it. But then once I finally started to dress like everyone else went to a rehearsal, it was monumental.
Yeah.
Yeah, you really, you really you you You fixed a problem in me that I think I was always too scared to admit, which is why I never talked about it to anyone or did anything about it. I just always say I just want to wear long sleeves, like yeah, always. If you look at me, from any time I was fourteen to eighteen, it was all long sleeves. Yeah. That was That was a day though, that that changed my life. And that was also a day because it was so early in our friendship. But you were able to find
a piece of me that no one else did. That I was like, oh, she's in.
I just were in. I think I saw so much of my younger self and you, and I just felt immediately protective. Like even those in the first few weeks of us meeting, I was just already so protective of you. Yeah, and of how you viewed yourself. Yeah, because you're You're gorgeous, You're the best.
You God, I love you, Jenna. I feel like I'm like owl, like you're just like literally just like my home.
All right.
We could go into Dancing with the Stars and talk every single week about every single memory, but I made I made a little list of memories unlocked to just laugh about and to tell quick stories about.
I can't wait. First thing on my lip.
This was I think it was week one or two. We're in the trailer. Oh no, we are exhausted. Show is over, Show is just happened. I think it was week one. Correct if I'm wrong, but I'm gonna go with it was week one. We're in the trailer. We were exhausted. I had some flowers. We sit on the couch. I saw on the couch, Jenna's on the chair. The flowers dip over and Jenna does nothing.
I do nothing.
The flowers starts feeling everywhere. Jenna goes, points at it dead pan. We're so exhausted. Neither of us touch it. We let it keeps feeling water waters, water, water. Then she grabbed one paper towel and said.
A quick fix. It just so serious. Water. Honestly, I think I was just like so, you know, especially because there's so much lead up to that premiere. You are just waiting and waiting and waiting for this moment, and then it was finally over. We'd done all the press and we were just lifeless. It felt like just I couldn't move, but I knew that the water was stipping from the flowers. Yeah, lifeless water, water flowers. I'm not sure who I thought was going to pick it up?
No one, No one, speaking of no one.
Next memory is we're in rehearsal. It is either Halloween week, before Halloween week or after Halloween week.
The door opening what you said, spooky, So the door just opens randomly.
Neither of us are scared, neither of us are feeling like going to see what's happening.
She just looks at it. Spooky. I'm all about one liners, you know. Oh no, oh no, we talked about this on TikTok before. Oh my gosh, I know what this is Jojo meldown, which every Friday. But this is one specific melt. Okay, let me tell this story. Let me tell this story. So, yes, okay, so this was Halloween week correct, No no, no, this is semifinals. No, this was when Oh this was contemporary? No no, no, this is contemporary. Okay,
So this is semifinals. We're doing it contemporary. And I always take contemporary very seriously because this is meant to be my style, and like you know, I have to keep up my reputation of contemporary in the ballroom. So and I had Jojo freaking sea Wan. I was like, we could do turn really well, and she wouldn't let her wear a shoe. I'll talk about a second. You gotta do beare feet anyway, So we're rehearsing, We're rehearsing, and I'm I'm going to take this. This is my fault.
I was like very stressed out this week because.
Again, also in the semifinals, we have seen each other every single.
No, that's not about it. I could spend every day with you. It was the fact that in my mind, this is a little this is a little teaser. I feel like you always win it in the semifinals, which no, I'm wrong, but yeah, because I was always we won the semi Yes, for sure. I was always under the
impression like you really win it in the semifinals. And so semifinals, we're dancing, we're doing our contemporary and we're just like running it and running it and running it, and I think we decided that we wanted to have our hair down, or both of us had our hair down. Yeah, and we were filming our why we were filming the wide, and our dance was hard to get through, like it was we had big lifts in it. Yeah, it was. It was hard for the listeners if you don't know
what a why it is. Every Friday we had to you have to on Dancing with the Stars film a wide of your dance that then gets sent into production. And everybody thinks that this is how they arranged the order of the show, but I actually don't think that's true. But so there's like a lot of pressure on us. You want to do a good dance for smallso all the producers see it, and then you want a good order, and so there's a lot of pressure for the wide.
So we're shooting our wide. This is probably like take four. We're doing it, Jojo. There was this part that I go on the ground and my hair was like splayed everywhere, and she accidentally her heel like gotten caught caught on my hair and I'm supposed to spin and it wasn't my fault, and it wasn't her. No, it just was like the universe and the heel, it just like what had on. And so my head got caught and was like, I looked ridiculous. She looked great. I looked ridiculous, and
I felt like I had ruined the wide. So we got up, we finished the routine. We finished it, but then watching it back, I was just like, I look stupid and this we can't use this wide? And what did I know? You're missing the whole story. No, no, we finished.
The dance finish and you were like we ended, you walk off and you're off here when you're like, oh, it.
Was so good. I'm so mad that that happened. And I said, oh yes, oh yeah, she you can say what but you say what you said?
I said, will you notice, like on the video? Will you even notice that that happened?
Oh?
I have this engraved in my brain. It was also my toe that got stuck, not the heel, but I was just gonna let the heel go.
Okay, So I said, will you notice Jenna thought?
I said, I noticed, being sassy, Oh saying that I noticed? When I tell you, Jenna walked out of the room. No, no, no, this is why I thought.
She said I noticed, and I was like, you know what, good for her for standing up because I'm being a little swear word right now. Yeah. So I was like, I need to take five because I need to be better in the room. So I just like I walked off. I went and got some water in my head.
She is so mad at me because I stepped on her hair. Jenna, to me, is this perfect little baby angel that I would do nothing, nothing wrong too. I would never say anything wrong to and dear, I would never ever ever hurt this perfect little angel. I warranted it.
It was me. I was like so dramatic. I was like, oh that was so good. I'm so mad about that part. And so I thought she was standing up for herself and she was like I noticed that.
I was really being like sweetened innocent, like will you notice on the video, Like will it even matter?
So then we come back and we have we know you were crying, yet we hadn't really like that. It was like a little bit dead silent for a sec. And I come back in and I was like, Okay, I'm ready to apologize to her, like I was really in the wrong. So I come back and I'm like, Joelle, I'm really proud of you for standing up for yourself. I'm really sorry that I said that. And you were like, what what do you mean? I was like, you you know, you like kind of talked back to me, and I'm
really proud of you. Like I was said the wrong. This is exactly what happened. Tears, sobbing, sobbing, streaming. I would never talk back to you. I was like, what is happening. You should have I'm telling you, good job.
This is exactly the tone that Johnah was into, like laughing, and then I.
Was laughing and I was like, wait, what is going on with you?
So then I explained to her. I was like, I said, will you know? So She's like, no, you didn't. You stood up to me and like that was good. You needed to, Like I'm proud of you. And I was like, no, watch the video.
I swear I didn't.
I wouldn't ever, so we thank god I got the will you notice on video?
Oh my god, it was so good. It was so good. It was the weirdest fight I've ever.
Jenna then was like I'm gonna leave for another five minutes, go get ton coke, fix yourself. But when I get back, it was laughing. Oh my god, it was so good. Okay, I got a couple more.
Oh my god.
There was this one week there was moving to body language. Do you remember we were doing body language and know how to teach me how to walk, to teach me how to walk?
No, it was sexy walk. Sexy walk.
Anyway, she taught me how to sexy walk and we're doing it and then all of a sudden, I was like, you know, I think I got a blister.
And I was like, but it's.
Fine, we can do it again. After we did it again, we finally took my shoe off.
Her whole heel was coming off. Literally, my whole heel was a blister. Oh slight memory. And you're being such a good scor and kept for her, saying those shoes that I made you.
I was like, fear, okay, So when you would teach me a lift, were you ever like, oh god, I'm going down?
Uh No, because I don't really have any fear, And I think I just trusted you. Yeah, and I knew that you were never going down on my watch. Yeah. The only way that I knew that we would like figure out if we could do it is if we just attempted it, yeah, and just went for it. Yeah, Walls to the Wall went for it. There's this one lift that we tried.
It was our very first lift, very first time to music is Argentine Tango Hit Me Baby one More Time, And it was the first time we did it. I posted the video where everyone's people have loved the video. They watch it all the time, where I mean, we I drop you, but I don't drop you.
But you still saved me. But we timper down.
It's like you just see us Timber, and in my head, I remember being like again, this a little perfect baby angel that like I am not You're not getting injured on my watch. It's not happening in your head. What was going on in that Timber?
We're going down, going downtown baby, Okay, here we go. Can I say one please? Okay? Tripped on memory. So I feel like Jojo had really explored herself during our season and like slowly came out of the shell of winning two thousand layers and one billion different colors at all times, and you were like tapping into this sexy side of Jojo. And I remember, for me, this was like a really proud sister moment. You were going to some red carpet. What was the one? Oh it was
was it the pink dress or the black dress? Which one did you wear it? I think it was the black dress. There was like two coming up. I remember, Yeah, I think it was a black dress. It was a black dress a Star's awards. So she was going to this big event and she like sent me this dress that she was maybe gonna wear. And I was literally crying when she sent me this picture because it was
like see through. First of all, it was sheer, and she just like looked stunning like her movies were kind of out like not a ton but like not neck high turtleneck. Yeah, it was like off the shoulder moment, and I was like wor And so I just was like I got to get her a heel and she doesn't wear heels offten ever. But I was like, you know, we can't wear freaking tennis shoe with this dress. It's like twopic of a moment could have what about a
lot compier of an eye? Know, So I got Jojo her first lubaitons and some of my first red botty. I remember I made you come into my trailer and watching you like try those on and even even attempting to put them on was hilarious, like made my life. I just felt like I was I'm not going to say your mom because your mom will be pissed, but I just like older sister, and it was just like sending you off to prom, and I just felt so emotional watching you.
Like like I just felt like you were like not saying goodbye to your younger self, but you were like evolving, yeah, and stepping into this new like who is this freaking sexy woman?
Yeah? It was.
It was definitely like a upgrade. It was like she was changing. I feel like there was so many of those moments with you on Stars. I feel like when we went from sandy and frenchy to body language like that was a body suit with a deep beat down to here and remember I was like can we cut the mesh off? And you were like yes, we say no more. Oh my god, just you you really did open the adult door and kicked me through it. And
it is something that I'll forever be grateful for. I have, I have a billion memories with Dancing with the Stars. I I think I just want to say thank you because it really was such a pivotal point in my life for so many reasons. I remember I was going through my first breakup too during the season, and you were, I mean, you were the person that was there for me the most because you had to be. You were the person I was with therapist. Yeah, no, she fully
was my therapist. And I remember you were the first person that I told, like, hey, we broke up. You were the first person that I told, Like if do you remember when I used to tell you, I would be like, Jena, just tell me to do it, because if you tell me to do it.
Then I will do it. That's a lot of pressure. And you used to be like jod I'm not telling you that I remember those car rides.
Yeah, but like you really you really were my safe person in that time for that situation. But then I mean for everything else. You fixed body, Boudie, you fixed I mean, you got me into strength. Now I'm now I'm like a psych goat. Now I eat healthy, now I work out, and now i'm.
That is my proudest thing. I think is just like seeing you, seeing you blossom in so many different ways. But I think also like loving being strong and not shying away from that, yeah, you know, and I think that's something for me. I feel like I'm a very feminine person, but I love like this masculine quality that I have of like I want to be able to do it the boys can do, yeah, like I want to be stronger than them, and I want to be able to do as any push ups as them, you know,
And so like I love watching your fitness journey. Thank you. I love it.
I mean you you started it. You sure as ex started it. I remember when we did Born this Way and we did that ending left right, I lifted you up and we were one shoulder. And now I could do that with like chilling. I do it later, Yeah, I like, let's break it go easy. But at the time I couldn't do it like it was.
It was. It was a very big But before I Dance with the Stars, I couldn't do.
A push up, like I could not do a single a shop, which is okay, but now, I mean, my strength journey has been insane. But then I remember seeing the boys do it and they were like, you gotta do it like this, and I was like, well, if Gleb can lift her, I can lift her.
Glob should be able.
To do a lot more than I can do. But like that mentality of like if they can do it, I can do it. I mean it got me anyways, now now you you just you you started this season off with Tyson. You got eliminate a way too early. I really thought y'all were going further. I really did, like I did too, not just blowing that up you like, I actually like really thought when I saw y'all, I gotta admit.
I was kind of like, m I hope she doesn't have back up of a partner. Job. You wish this upon me? My early elimination, yeah, I.
Was like because you you had baby and so you were pregnant, didn't do the last season, and I just remember.
Being like, I just really want to like play my territory.
I don't know, like I was like, for your sake, we get a good partner, but selfishly like, but then when you got Tyson, I was like, he's good.
Like y'all.
When I saw your dance when I came on Latin Night, I was like, dang, like they're good. They're gonna go far. And then you got eliminated. I think was it the next week? And I was like for my first thought was thank god I got to see her dance, I know. And my second thought was, like, I'm forever gonna be second place now, you know what I mean.
No, you're not. You're gonna have your season. You are gonna win.
There's ever an All Stars. We will do nothing but win.
Yes, we will do not I might avenge. Yeah, it's it's it's our it's our comeback arc.
It's our comeback arc. H Jenna, your life now, give me your life now. Then I got to give you a little bit of a piece of my life now and then we'll we'll wrap this up.
Where where are you now? What is your life now? Right now? I'm full mommy mode.
Which Oh we got to talk about your Lend number. Oh yeah, we gotta we gotta pause on your now, we gotta pause on you now. You just did the most incredible number. You are ready for your Emmy nomination and win, Like, don't even be you know that's getting not like that is.
I mean, Jenna just did the most beautiful Lend tribute. I mean it was.
It was the biggest thing I think from Dancing with the Stars this season, and it's because of you, Like you did that.
Thank you I think, you know, it goes back to everything. I'm a firm believer and everything happens for a reason and full transparency. I was like really devastated that this was my season that I came back from because I love the show, I love creating, and so I think missing out on last season, I was so happy to be pregnant and to take a season off, but I was so excited to come back this season. Yeah, and so when it ended early, I kind of just felt like and what now? Like what do I do? Now?
You know, I've just been I carved out these three months for this, and now like what do I do? Yeah? And I just didn't feel very fulfilled, you know, which was which sucked because I was like wonging for that feeling again. And I think.
Too, you had a really like it. You should have you there was deaf only you. Y'all should still be there and I think you knew that too. Yeah, And so getting eliminated had to have been a big shock. Better Yeah, bitter sweet because again I got to spend time with my son. But I think I'm still in my mind, I'm still this artist, creator, choreographer, and I have so much more to give so anyway, cut to
everything happens for a reason. We were asked Val and I were asked to quot off this Len tribute number. Len Goodman passed away this past year and they wanted to honor him, and there had been a lot of pressure leading up to this piece because they were like, you know, this is a very important moment for us, we really want to do it justice. This is I mean, Len was on the show for since the beginning, and there's so much legacy that we felt a lot of
pressure to do a very good job. And so I know that if I still would have been on the season, I'm not sure if I could have put in as much effort to just solely be focused on this number. Ye anyway, And and Val is still in the season, you know, and he and Sochi are going to win, I think so and I wanted him to still be.
Focused on that. They're so cute, so good. Anyway, So yeah, we we did this Lene number and it turned out more than I ever could have expected. And I haven't ever had the chance to do a group number on the show and have the capabilities of using all of these incredible dances. Was unreal At one time, So thank you. It was unreal.
I'm very proud of it, as you should be. Emmy's when the nominations come out, we'll see, we'll see. It's been the best thing on this season for sure.
For sure. Anyways, your life now, Mommy and mode. But I'm still you know, I feel more ready than ever to like tackle my career and do those things that I haven't done that have scared me that now is the time to do it. So doing that, I'm still obviously a part of the season. And then yeah, being trying to be a good wife. You know, supportive wife is my husband's Kushna on the season. So yeah, that's my best life I'm going to be. I want to be John in my next life.
Stop, Okay, I gotta I've actually been meaning to read you this, and I I didn't. I wasn't planning on reading you this, and now I was. I've planned on reading you this right when I got home from Special Forces, but then I don't know if I've told you, have I told you about this?
I'm not ready for this. I'm not.
I'm not either, and I will cry any any time I take this is why I had to put it upside down because anytime I look at this death note, I literally start sobbing. Anyways, but before before we wrap this up, I was like, you know what this this feels like. It's like I'm I'm finally ready to read it too. I feel like we've had a deep conversation.
Now today we've gone through emerl Lane and I don't know, it's just really anyways, So I just for anyone who's listening, I just did Special Forces World's Touffest Test, which is a TV show on Fox, but I mean it is it is are beyond a TV show.
People ask me all the time, what was harder Dancing with the Stars? Are special Forces? Actually?
And I joke around and I'm like, actually, probably Dancing with the Stars because Dan the Stars is so intense and so stressful, and yeah, seventy five days compared to eight days. But there's something about special Forces. You are away from everybody, you are faced with death, you every single day. You are pushed to your physical limits for sure, and pushed beyond your mental limits. I mean, I I was mentally gone.
Anyways.
So it's it's day I think six six or seven, and we had to write death notes and this death note was they gave us pieces of paper and they said, if something happens to you, this is what goes home.
So what do you want home to to read? What do you want home to know?
What do you want them to know about your your finances, your people, your house? Like you gotta, you gotta put everything in this death note.
And so I have my death note.
And when I when I was done with selection, I was like, you know what, I'm not leaving unless I get to take this death note with me.
I'm not. I can't.
I can't leave the premises. And so I convinced them to give me my death note and I wrote to a few very very very close people in my life. I need to still read it to a few people. But I told myself, I was like, I will read this to every single person that I wrote to, because they need to know this before I actually go.
Fair warning.
Every time I read this, I saw because it puts me right back.
I'm gonna cry already.
It puts me right back to where I was when I wrote this, which was at the mentally lowest point I've ever been at. I mean, you're thinking about what happens if you don't return home and you already are missing your people so much. And yeah, anyways, so what I'll do is I'm gonna I'll read you. I'll read you the first part and then I have a section that's just for you. Yeah, I'm okay, here we go.
Every time, there isn't an easy way to start this, but I'll start by saying, I hope you never have to end up reading this, and instead I'll just get to tell you all this in person. I want to start off with the message to my mom. Then I go into a whole thing about my mom. Yeah, YadA, this is this is this is your section, Jenna. You changed me and my life.
Already going down.
Oh okay, so what happened was you're part of the death. No, you should you should know this. I was I was writing, and I went through all my people that I was like talking to like at the time, and you are obviously one of the closest people to me, but you're not someone that I speak to every single day, And so I was like going through like, oh, I talked to every single day.
I was talking to Samana every single day. I was start going to kiss every single day.
At the time, I was talking to Raven, Miranda, my girl group, my mom, dad, brother, like that was like the front.
And then and Rachel and now and clean.
And then I got to Ezra, who I was fighting with at the time, and I was like, I can't not write to him, So I wrote to him. And then I literally was like, who means the most in the world to me? And I was like Jenna. I was like, I gotta write to Jenna, so your your section has actually last in this and so I was, I mean, I'm I'm deep at this point. Jesus, Jenna, you changed me and my life more than I've already
told you. No one knew about my deep, dark insecurities, but you figure them out and helped me break down every wall that needed to be broken down. I'll never be able to express to you how much you mean to me. Thank you for everything. I love you very much, Joelle.
You're also the only person that got signed Joell. Jesus, I hate this step note.
It gives me every single time and I like, I've read it literally probably fifty times a step note, but it so I don't know something about it.
That's uh. I love you you clearly the world to me.
I don't you know I don't cry any That thing was like instant lot of works.
If I need tears, that's that's my winner tier. I should have just not read that. To me, I'm first of all, that's very beautiful and I can't even imagine having to write it was so like putting that into words. But I knew like you were really there writing it.
Like it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna go write this note like just like to tell my people how I feel.
It was like it was so real, it was crazy. I'm honored that when you're in that deepest, darkest right now, I made the death note. But wow, that's so beautiful and I'm really glad you framed that and have that forever one of my humans. It's a big reminder for me. It really.
As as psycho as this sounds, it was one of the best things I've ever done, was write a death note. Like it just puts into perspective what you care about, what you're grateful for. I think at the end of the day, also like who matters, who really matters and what matters. Yeah, absolutely, don't write a death and nope, but do write a death It really does help anyways, I feel like that was like the highest of high and lowest of low that we could have possibly ended this podcast on.
But that's now. But that but that is.
Now, and that is that is where I am now, and that is where you are in my life now as a person.
I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. Like you know, in these past couple of years, I feel like you've gone through such an evolution. Thank you, and it's you started it. Well, it's got to be starting flicting at times, but I'm really proud of you. You're thank you. You know, you're so talented that goes beyond. But like as a human, you are truly at the end of the day, Like if I'm thinking of who will be there no matter what, if I needed somebody right now, you're at the top of my list. So
so proud of you. So grateful we met each other. We got to do some incredible moments and memories together. But even better than that, like we have each other in each other's life for the rest of our lives. We're prepared, we're excited, and we have each other. Right.
Jenna and I used to have these performance vituals that we would do before every every single performance. We would go to her prayer corner and we would she would she would she would say friend. I would stand there not like hi, thanks big man, and then we would say we're prepared, we're excited, and we have each other. And then I would run the dance fifty and then gentlemen tell me to calm down and they'd be like okay, and then.
We pert forward. It was great every single week.
I was just at CBS for some reason with my mom and I was like, what's your prayer corner? And I showed it with you and I used to pray. We were like walking around and I was like, what is see what I used to be. She heard about it all the time, but she never knew where it was. Anyways, Jenna, thank you so much for everything. Thank you for everything you just said. I I will always be for you, and thank you so much for joining Joe's and now anything else you want to get out.
I feel like that's a rap.
That's a freaking wrap. Everybody following Jinna everywhere watch Dancing with the Stars. When Jenna is on next season, the Dancing with the Stars text whoever her star is to two, one, five, two three ten times every single Monday or Tuesday night, whatever night they decided to air it.
I love y'all.
I remember on Dancing Stars like the first week you really gets two two three, I was like, how do you.
Memorize that already? It's been the same number for forever. Yeah.
Anyways, I love y'all. Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed. Give us a good rating, tell your friends.
And I'll talk to you next time. Peace. Thank you so much for listening. Everybody.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Jojosua Now podcast. Be sure to write us a review, and maybe, if you're feeling to leave us five stars, I'll see you next week.