Dancing with the Stars

Before Jonathan Bennett hit the "Dancing With the Stars" ballroom, he got turnt up with some interpretive dance ... a Bette Midler classic ... and one of the wildest, most painful staircase falls we've ever seen!

So much for the wind beneath his wings.

Jonathan Bennett's "Dancing With the Stars" appearance almost never happened ... because he suffered a humongous fall as he jokingly tried to prep for the show ... and it was all caught on tape.

So here's the deal ... the "Mean Girls" star shot this video a few months back, but kept it hidden until "DWTS" finished its run (congrats, Alfonso).

In the video, he and a few friends attempt an "interpretive dance" ... but Bennett tried a move on the railing of a staircase that ended ... well, you gotta see it. He ended up with 2 broken ribs and his arm in a sling for 2 months.

The best part -- they were dancing to "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Seeing as he was the one who allowed the video to be posted ... Bennett's ego escaped unscathed.

Tom Bergeron hit a little too close to home Monday night on "Dancing With the Stars" ... when he made a stalking joke about Erin Andrews ... who very famously dealt with a stalker of her own.

Andrews was debriefing Alfonso Ribeiro when she began gushing over Will Smith ... who went on a social media campaign supporting his former "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" co-star.

After Andrews repeatedly invited Will to show up to a taping, Bergeron followed it up by saying Will could do worse than having Erin as a stalker ... insinuating it's ok for hot chicks to stalk guys.

Janel Parrish just had her chances of winning the Mirrorball Trophy derailed ... at least that's the way it looks after she suffered a gnarly injury during rehearsal.

TMZ just got this video of the "Pretty Little Liars" star and Val Chmerkovskiy practicing lifts. Something bad clearly happened because you see her dissolve into tears as she hobbles to a room where doctors examine her.

It looks like she suffered a broken or compressed rib.

She hasn't been counted out, but it doesn't look good. The finals are tonight.

Janel Parrish is pulling double duty on "Pretty Little Liars" AND "Dancing with the Stars" -- and TMZ has learned she's spread herself so thin, she's alienated castmates on both shows.

DWTS sources tell us ... Janel's pro dance partner, Val Chmerkovskiy is freaking out ... because she's missed two days of critical dance rehearsals due to long days of filming on PLL.

We're told ... Val believes he and Janel have a real shot at winning the trophy -- the finals are Monday and Tuesday -- but thinks her PLL schedule is sabotaging their chances.

As for Janel's "Pretty Little Liars" co-stars ... we're told Lucy Hale and others in the cast have been conspicuously absent from the DWTS set the entire season ... and have given her little to no support -- even when she danced to the PLL theme song.

Alfonso Ribeiro -- the front-runner on "Dancing with the Stars" -- may have to pull out of the competition days before the semifinals ... and it's all because of The Carlton Dance.

Our DWTS sources say Ribeiro injured his back during rehearsal Wednesday night as he tried to overcompensate for a groin injury which he suffered on the show, performing his signature move.

The back injury is bad -- he's having trouble even walking. Alfonso skipped rehearsals Thursday so he could get an MRI.

Doctors are telling him the next 48 hours are critical, but they say there's a real chance he can't dance.

"Dancing With the Stars" is drawing a line in the parquet floor with some of its famous pros -- warning them to stay away from an upstart live dance show, or risk a tango ... in court.

Our 'DWTS' sources tell us producers fired off warning letters to several dancing pros right after they sued a touring show called "Ballroom With A Twist." The letter informs the dancers they could be violating their "DWTS" contract if they do any side gigs with the rival.

'Dancing' vets Peta Murgatroyd, Tony Dovolani and Val Chmerkovskiy have all appeared on promotions for 'Ballroom' ... but the show hasn't started touring yet. We're told they've now been told to bail, or face potential legal action.

In other words ... they own you, jive turkeys.

"Dancing With the Stars" wants the competition to know ... they're the head pimp in the dancing game ... and they're going after a rival show for stealing their look and their pro dancers.

There's a live performance stage show called "Ballroom with a Twist" that tours around the U.S. -- but it features a bunch of "DWTS" dancers ... like Peta Murgatroyd, Tony Dovolani and Val Chmerkovskiy (Max's little bro).

The BBC, which owns "DWTS," is suing Scott Stander -- whose company produces "Ballroom with a Twist" -- because those dancers can't work side gigs for a competing show without approval ... according to the suit.

The BBC also says it's pissed 'BWAT' is using 'DWTS' styled graphics to promote the show ... and perhaps the ultimate insult -- in the dancing world, we're guessing -- 'Dancing' alum Louis Van Amstel choreographed the upstart live show.

The BBC wants to shut down the copycat promos, and they want their dancers back. In other words ... beat it, we've got this corner on lock!

Move over Ty Pennington, the house Derek Hough and Mark Ballas bought has officially been souped-up -- and now the famous dancers are looking to cash out.

The "Dancing With the Stars" duo purchased the Studio City pad together earlier this year for $1.275 mil ... and now they're listing it for $1.895 million -- $620K more than they paid.

The flipping process caught the eye of HGTV, which will air a special in January featuring their home pirouette ... tentatively called "Mark & Derek's Excellent Flip."

We're told the "Dancing" stars completely tore up the inside ... and replaced all the windows and doors with fancy new ones -- same goes for the roof.

We're told Derek and Mark forked over at least $200K to rebuild it, with the help of real estate agent Andrew Gulyas ... and now each of the 'DWTS' stars stand to waltz away with some nice pocket change.

Not bad for 8 months work.

Karina Smirnoff went down so hard during a "Dancing With the Stars" rehearsal ... she had to get lifted onto a stretcher and rushed to the hospital.

TMZ obtained video of EMTs whisking Smirnoff away after she bit it in practice ... suffering knee and wrist injuries. Watch the video ... Karina's clearly in pain, and her wrist is already wrapped up in an ice pack.

Sources close to the show tell us x-rays show she didn't fracture anything, but just in case ... producers are scrambling to find a replacement. Karina's already been voted out, but she still performs in each show.

Mark Ballas has a true rookie on his hands with Sadie Robertson because the "Duck Dynasty" star hails from a high school where dancing is strictly forbidden ... just like "Footloose."

Willie Robertson's 17-year-old daughter is partnered with Ballas for this season of "Dancing With the Stars" ... but she also attends Ouachita Christian School in Monroe, LA where administrators have a longstanding ban on all school dances.

We spoke to Sadie's principal Jamie Stokes, and he was unapologetic about the school's policy ... which he says includes banning all dances. Even proms. Zero tolerance dancing, y'all.

Mark and Sadie advanced last week, but judge Julianne Hough told the 'DD' heir she's gonna need to get "more down and dirty" to win it all.

Sadie's dad shot that down almost immediately -- and we're guessing it's ditto from her principal.

Truth bomb from "Dancing with the Stars" judge Bruno Tonioli to Lolo Jones -- STOP CRYING ABOUT LOSING ALREADY AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE!!!

This video is great ... we asked Bruno how he felt about Lolo's emotional breakdown after she became the 1st person eliminated from the show last week -- and the guy didn't hold back.

As we previously reported, Lolo expressed her devastation on Facebook after she was 86'd -- saying she was sick of being a loser ... and wanted to use the show to redeem herself after multiple failures in the Olympics.

10:20 A.M. PDT -- Ribeiro's rep tells TMZ ... Alfonso was never booked for a firm date -- the hotel jumped the gun by printing and selling tickets with Alfonso's picture. We're told they've now worked out a settlement ... he says the club will issue a retraction and Ribeiro will appear at the club after he finishes DWTS.

Alfonso Ribeiro bailed on a heavily promoted birthday bash in Atlantic City -- costing the nightclub a fortune -- because he didn't want his tango to suck on a TV reality show.

Alfonso -- famous for The Carlton Dance -- made a last-minute decision NOT to headline The Pool After Dark event Saturday. He notified the club Wednesday, which is a problem -- his face is plastered all over the flyer.

Alfonso is a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" and apparently he made the decision he could earn more if he wins the trophy. He could have made $35K at the club, but he stands to rake in $345K if he wins DWTS.

As for the club ... it got screwed. It has to eat the $1,500 it paid for a customized cake, and refund $10K worth of pre-sold tickets.

Lolo Jones says she felt broken, unlovable and embarrassed after she was eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars" Tuesday night ... and penned an emotional letter saying she's sick of being a loser.

The former Olympian unloaded on Facebook right after she got the boot from the ballroom ... saying, "When I was dancing last night and messed up I had flashbacks of the three Olympics and that people constantly tease me about. I thought oh no here it comes again. People are going to ridicule me. I'm so tired of feeling embarrassed."

"I joined the other competitors upstairs and I couldn't force a smile on my face. I felt like vomiting and in between the other dances I went in a back room and fought back tears. I felt so broken. So unlovable. Embarssed."

Jones -- who's been RIPPED in the public over her lackluster performances at the Olympics over the years -- added, "I really wanted to stay on the show and have the layers of hurt wash away by showing the public how hard I work. I wanted to come away a victor for once. I wanted to do so good performing in public that the haters would stop teasing me."

"But that is my way of thinking. Not Gods. Instead I need to trust God that he would heal my heart. That I would not work so hard for the world to validate and redeem me but know that God already conquered that for me on the cross."

She concluded ... "My time was brief but the lesson is lasting. Thank you everyone who wrote me kind messages. You were helping me not fall into darkness."

Famously eccentric designer Betsey Johnson is bringing her brand of crazy to "Dancing with Stars" ... along with the much younger YouTube fashionista Bethany Mota.

As we told you ... ABC had been looking to sign a big social media star ... and found her in 18-year-old Mota ... who's amassed more than 7 million fans with her YouTube tutorials on fashion, hair and makeup.

Sources close to the show tell us ... producers have also tapped "Back to the Future" actress Lea Thompson, Jonathan Bennett from "Mean Girls," Janel Parrish from "Pretty Little Liars," and Sadie Robertson -- granddaughter of "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson.

The new "Dancing with the Stars" cast could have its hardest bodies yet -- a bunch of pro athletes and an Olympian -- along with something new ... a YouTube superstar, TMZ has learned.

We got a hold of the 'DWTS' producers wish list -- the celebs they're gunning to get for Season 19 -- and it includes 'Bachelorette' Andi Dorfman, ex-UFC fighter Randy Couture, "American Ninja Warrior" contestant Kacy Catanzaro, Olympic track star Lolo Jones and Antonio Sabato Jr.

Our 'DWTS' sources tell us they're also trying to land a female YouTube star ... who we're told has tens of millions of followers. It's a smart ploy for a veteran show with aging viewers to pull in fresh, younger viewers.

We're told some of the celebs are already negotiating their 'DWTS' contracts. The one thing still missing though ... a really big traditional TV or movie star. The full cast will be announced Sept. 4.