Kim Zolciak-Biermann on “Dancing with the Stars” Elimination: 'It Was a Blessing in Disguise'

ABC/Fred Lee(NEW YORK) — Just two weeks after experiencing a mini-stroke, reality TV star Kim Zolciak-Biermann is opening up about the frightening ordeal that forced her to withdraw from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

“I’m feeling great,” Zolciak-Biermann said Thursday on Good Morning America. “On the whole flight I was nervous, but I feel great.”

Zolciak-Biermann was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars September 29 after suffering a mini-stroke five days earlier that put her in the hospital for two days.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” the Don’t Be Tardy star said, explaining that the incident revealed she has a hole in her heart that led to the mini-stroke.

“I was born with it and it never closed,” Zolciak-Biermann said. “That’s what caused it basically. Because the blood clot was able to cross over through the hole. Whereas most people don’t have that and it’s not able to do that.”

Some detractors thought she had faked her injury. Zolciak-Biermann  pushed back against those critics.

“I think it’s sick that somebody would ever think that and some of the people that have said that, it just shows me their mentality,” she said. “I don’t think that many people would really fake a stroke. Especially since I love Dancing with the Stars. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life. It’s been very difficult for me to not be on the show.”

Zolciak-Biermann said she felt it was unfair she never got a second change to compete, even after her fans rallied and gathered more than 200,000 signatures on a petition to bring her and her partner back.

“I was able to dance. I just couldn’t fly,” she said. “I feel like they could’ve done something via satellite. They’ve made exceptions in the past.”

“I tried to kind of get an answer because I really do love the show,” Zolciak-Biermann continued. “I love everybody. The producers, the casting directors, they all kind of fought for me, but when it came down to it it was the lawyers that made the final decision.”

As for what’s next for Zolciak-Biermann, she said she’s looking forward to performing on the finale ofDWTS. “I’m not sure what they’re going to have me doing,” she said. “I don’t care. I’m just so excited to be there.”


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