How Maria Menounos Got Injured On Dancing With The Stars

Dancing is no joke, even when it's conducted as part of a televised reality competition, as the worst "DWTS" injuries of all time ruthlessly demonstrate. Although there's a never-ending list of celebrities clamoring to take part on the long-running show, the danger of getting hurt while competing on "Dancing with the Stars" is very real. Per Women's Health, one of the biggest pulls to compete on the show is the weight loss associated with doing so much cardio, potentially for weeks on end, which can help stars shed unwanted pounds. 

Appearing on "DWTS" also, obviously, increases your profile, which can be a real boon for those on whom the spotlight has dimmed in recent years, as Frankie Muniz discussed with People in 2017. Whichever way you slice it, though, this is a reality show with more risk associated than most comparable series. For Maria Menounos, in particular, "DWTS" proved to be especially troublesome for her physically. As she admitted to Celebuzz, "It took me almost a full year to heal." What happened to put the TV personality out of action?

Maria Menounos's first "DWTS"-related injury occurred before she'd even hit the dance floor, with People noting the TV star tore the intercostal muscles off her ribs (ouch) during rehearsals. However, the "Extra" host remained upbeat, joking, "I have a leg up on the competition." In a joint interview with the Hollywood Reporter, she and partner Derek Hough confirmed two ribs had also been snapped right before the season premiere. The issue occurred when Menounos fell onto her partner's knee twice in quick succession. Since the host was already on painkillers for her torn muscles, neither of them realized something was up at first. After she was examined, doctors discovered Menounos' sprains were actually breaks. It didn't affect their performance, however, with the duo garnering a cumulative score of 25.

As Menounos quipped to Us Weekly, "I can't believe how dangerous dancing is! I told Derek, 'I don't understand! I played ice hockey, football, basketball — when did I get so fragile?' Unfortunately the Hough's too rough!" Per ABC News, the TV star's full injury tally also included her chin and feet, but Menounos continued dancing, and never showed the pain on her face either. However, she finally acknowledged how tough it was during an interview on Anderson Live, via YouTube, admitting, "On top of my full-time job at Extra and the dancing, I had a full-time job managing injuries. I was at the doctor constantly getting MRIs, managing how many fractures this week."