Gene Simmons is facing backlash for his controversial remarks about Dancing With The Stars female contestants during his recent appearance on the reality show as a guest judge. During the show’s Hair Metal Night episode, the KISS bassist made comments about Chandler Kinney and Witney Carson’s physical appearances, raising eyebrows online.
KISS rocker Gene Simmons draws flak online for ‘creepy’ comments about DWTS female contestants
The 75-year-old rock artist had a lot to say to the former NFL player Danny Amendola and his partner Carson after their Paso Doble to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. Instead of commenting on their energetic dance number, Simmons couldn’t decide who was “hot.”
“This is a brand new experience for me and it’s difficult to look at you and to figure out which one is more hot, hot, hot,” he said. “Danny, I’m telling you, you’re right next to somebody, one of the more beautiful women on the planet,” Simmons added.
Following Kinney and Brandon Armstrong’s Jive to Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It, Simmons said, “Chandler, you’ve fogged up my glasses. I don’t know what to tell you. You move me, not just with your gyrations and so on, but your beautiful face and how you were into the emotion of it.”
In another instance, the rock veteran told Reginald VelJohnson about his dance partner, Emma Slater, “Hey Reggie, you’ve got a beautiful woman right beside you who can twist it and turn it and knows how to move it and all that.”
Simmons’ remarks about the female dancers’ looks did not sit well with the audience as they quickly flocked to social media to call out the KISS rocker. “ABC needs to issue an apology after having Gene Simmons on there and subjecting their cast to that . Why didn’t a producer tell him to knock it off,” an X user wrote.
“Gene Simmons comments about the ladies are giving the energy of the gross uncle who corners you at the reunion #DWTS,” said a second user, while a third remarked, “I’m getting the feeling that Gene Simmons is just choosing his scores based on how attractive he thinks the girl is…yikes #DWTS.”
