Olivia Jade Giannulli: What My Parents Texted Me After ‘DWTS’ Elimination

Olivia Jade Giannulli found her ‘drive and work ethic’ on ‘DWTS’ before her Monday, November 8, elimination — how her parents reacted to the episode

Olivia Jade Giannulli’s journey on Dancing With the Stars is over, but the daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli will never be the same. Following the YouTuber’s Monday, November 8, elimination, she reflected on the experience — and told Us Weekly how her parents reacted.

“They are so proud of me for doing this show and they both were just like, ‘Hey, you did it. You tried your best. We’re proud of you for putting yourself out there and we love you,’” the 22-year-old beauty guru told Us and other reporters on Monday. “So they’re great. They’re obviously very supportive and I think that they’re just like, ‘OK, she’s probably going to be very sad. So, I’m going to text her some really nice stuff right now.’”

Olivia Jade Giannulli: What My Parents Texted Me After ‘DWTS’ Elimination — Olivia Jade Giannulli, Mossimo Giannulli, and Lori Loughlin. Matt Baron/Shutterstock; A Rodriguez/BEI/Shutterstock

Ahead of her Argentine tango to Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place,” which earned her and partner Val Chmerkovskiy a 36 out of 40, Olivia revealed that Mossimo, 58, was in the singer’s “You Want This” music video in 1993. It was the first time she shared memories about her dad on the show.

The Full House alum, 57, and the fashion designer, who are also the parents of 23-year-old daughter Bella Giannulli, were indicted in the nationwide college admissions scandal in March 2019 and subsequently served two months and five months, respectively, in prison. Olivia has been candid on the ABC reality competition about how she views the show as a second chance.

“I really found a drive and a work ethic that I think I’ve had since I was young, but maybe I haven’t been able to execute in the last few years,” she told reporters on Monday. “So it’s been really nice to find that again. And I think hard work really does pay off. That’s something I’ll carry forever.”

Olivia added, “It sounds so cliché and basic, but hard work does pay off. And when you really give something your all [and] that joy you genuinely feel from doing it, there’s nothing really like it. It’s so rewarding. [I’ll] just continue to work my absolute hardest at anything that’s thrown at me in the next few years.”

Chmerkovskiy, 35, also praised Olivia’s performance on the show.

“I’m very proud of her. I’m proud of us. I’m proud of this season,” the pro said. “It meant a lot to me to be in a position to help somebody, period. But also somebody that could have used it. I’m grateful for that opportunity. I’m grateful that it worked too. We did win some folks over. We did get a chance to shed a different light on her and show her in a different spotlight. And then also show that she earned it, that she wasn’t just given it. She earned her stay here and for eight weeks, it’s been a blast. I got a lot of love for this young lady and I got a lot of love for the universe for bringing us together and giving me a chance to do this season.”

There are six couples still left in the competition — including Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Johnson, and partner JoJo Siwa.

“They’re good. I think, obviously, really disappointed. I think we’re both disappointed for them,” Johnson said of her husband and Olivia’s elimination. “I was under the assumption — for me and my brain, it was so clear that they would be going to the finals. I think they deserved it. I’m really confused, [but] that’s the nature of the show, unfortunately.”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.