"Dancing With The Stars" is heating up, and everyone left has a good shot at winning the coveted Mirrorball Trophy. However, one of the show's biggest front-runners, Lindsay Stirling, may be forced to exit the show after suffering a serious and painful injury. TMZ reports that the violinist suffered a devastating rib injury that caused her so much pain she had to be rushed to the hospital.
Lindsay Stirling suffers major injury
According to the report, Lindsay Stirling was in so much pain during a rehearsal on Sunday that she was quickly taken to the hospital with her "Dancing with the Stars" (DWTS) partner, Mark Ballas, by her side.
Lindsay is said to have suffered a blunt rib injury and possible separation. The pain from the injury is said to be so great that Lindsay may have to leave "DWTS" after weeks of earning top scores from the judges. Lindsay is seen in tears as she tells "DWTS" cameras that she's been working so hard on the show, and to be forced to leave the competition would be devastating to her.
Mark tells Lindsay she'll have to forfeit if she can't dance this week
Later, Lindsay sits in a hospital bed and asks Mark Ballas what happens if doctors tell her she cannot perform on Monday night's show. "You'll be forced to forfeit," he tells his visibly shaken "Dancing With The Stars" partner. Mark also dished on the terrible timing of the injury, saying that Sunday is a bad day for an injury to occur because it leaves no time for healing before Monday night's performance.
It has yet to be confirmed whether or not Lindsay Stirling will try and give her performance a go on Monday, but fans will be sad to see the contestant go if she's physically not able to dance this week.
Lindsay could get the sympathy vote if she returns to dance
Lindsay Stirling has been wowing "Dancing With The Stars" viewers since the first week of the season.
The violinist received a perfect score last week. If she leaves the show it will be a shocking blow to the competition, but if she is able to stay and fight through the injury it will be a story that fans will love. It could give her the edge to win the Mirrorball Trophy in a stiff competition which includes Vanessa Lachey, Jordan Fisher, and Frankie Muniz.
Other stars have left due to injuries
Of course, Lindsay Stirling wouldn't be the first "Dancing With The Stars" contestant to leave due to injury. Tamar Braxton left the show due to pulmonary embolisms in her lungs. Kim Zolciak-Biermann left the show and underwent heart surgery weeks later. Billy Dee Williams left "DWTS" due to chronic back pain, and Jewel fractured her tibia just before her season began, making her unable to compete at all. Nancy O'Dell, Dorothy Hamill, Tom DeLay, Misty May-Treanor, and Romeo also left the show with injuries.
