KISS frontman Gene Simmons appeared as a guest judge on the latest episode of KISS. Dancing with the starsbut his time there did not go well.
Clearly, Simmons didn’t get the memo and instead of focusing on the subtle intricacies of the foxtrot or tango, focused on appearance and made “creepy” comments to a number of contestants, mainly women.
In one particular incident, he told NFL stars Danny Amendola and Witney Carson that he couldn’t figure out which of the two was “hotter hot.” However, Simmons later denied any comments from the audience that he could “go either way”.
Several people online heard Simmons’ comments and his comments were later labeled “creepy”.
One person commented: “This is just the first dance and I’m already over Gene Simmons being a creep.”
Another X user added: “Gene simmons telling someone FIFTY ONE YEARS YOUNGER that she heated his glasses is absolutely disgusting.”
Gen Simmons telling someone FIFTY-ONE YEARS YOUNGER that she heated his glasses is absolutely disgusting to her.
— 🚀BOS, AMS N1&3 rain program | Thank you a little (@leigh_ilysm) October 9, 2024
Others simply called him out for his apparent lack of judging skills, with one even calling Simmons the “worst guest judge” to ever appear on the show.
Gene might be the worst guest judge I’ve ever seen 😂😂 #DWTS
— Savannah ⭐️ (@Savannah___17) October 9, 2024
While Simmons has made some positive comments during his time as a judge, many people online were quick to point out that he scored Black contestants lower than others. In one instance, he gave Phaedra and Val Chmerkovskiy a 5 while the other judges – Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli – each gave the duo a 7.
One online critic shared: “Gene gave Phaedra a 5??? But passed someone else ALL NIGHT??? He should NEVER be invited back.”
“You can actually tell that this guest judge is racist and sexist based on the scores he gave! This is completely ridiculous and shame on you guys for Let him be the judge!” added another person.
Greet @officialdwts you could really tell that this guest judge was racist and sexist based on the scores he gave! This is completely absurd and shame on you for letting him be the judge! 🤮 #DWTS
– yasmine (@yasmineshateri) October 9, 2024
This isn’t the first time Simmons has made waves thanks to comments he made while participating in a reality TV show. In 2008, he was fired Apprentice and defend Donald Trump.
“People criticized him, I certainly did my part. But I think the truth is people misunderstand faith as arrogance,” he said. Parade.
Simmons was also criticized for comments he made about women and wanting a career and family in his 2017 book On Power: My journey through the corridors of power and how you can have more power.
“It’s natural to want children, but sorry, you can’t have it both ways. You must be committed to your career or your family. It’s very difficult to have both,” he said Parade.
Simmons has not responded to his most recent round of backlash.
Tags KISS, Gene Simmons, Dancing with the Stars