Normani Kordei's rocky Dancing With the Stars experience isn't getting any smoother. After dealing with an intense tour schedule that had her crisscrossing the globe during the season's first few weeks (her partner, Val, went along for the ride) and opening up about her ongoing battle with online bullying, Kordei twisted her right ankle just days before the show's finale.
"Normani’s in pain, but fighting through it," a source told TMZ, Entertainment Tonight reports. When the singer took over Nylon's Instagram story on Thursday, she had her ankle wrapped, but was in good spirits.
An ABC News video shows Kordei and Chmerkovskiy practicing a lift. As she lands, Kordei twists her ankle and says "ow" before grimacing and leaning against her partner for support. Then, Chmerkovskiy ices the ankle as Kordei takes a few moments to compose herself and assess the damage.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"She twisted her ankle per the clip in yesterday's rehearsals. She is still rehearsing and getting ready for the finale," a spokesperson for DWTS told ABC News.
Just this week, Kordei earned a perfect 40 for her New Orleans-themed jazz routine. Throughout the season, she's remained at the top (or near the top) of the leaderboard, stunning the judges with her skill and capturing America's heart with her emotion and growth as a dancer and performer. Plus, she invited her Fifth Harmony bandmates to perform during one of her routines, which certainly doesn't hurt.
While it's unlikely that the injury will affect her participation in this season's finale, she and Chmerkovskiy may have to change a few of their show-stopping moves for their freestyle dance. Next week, Kordei will take to the floor against the Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross and NFL free agent Rashad Jennings for the Mirrorball Trophy.
Check out the rehearsal video and Kordei's stumble, below.
Read These Stories Next: