DWTS’ Maura Higgins has revealed she went to hospital after a rib injury left her struggling to breathe.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the 35-year-old opened up about the setback following Tuesday’s performance.
She and professional partner Mark Ballas nevertheless secured a place in next week’s semi-final.
The week also took an emotional toll. Maura said Carrie Ann Inaba’s praise during the judges’ comments had made her feel understood.
Reflecting on that moment, she said: “People can’t see pain, and I was struggling so much this week.”
Maura Higgins explains hospital visit after rib injury on DWTS
She described the week as “traumatic” and said the injury had cut into their training time.
Maura told the interviewer: “I ended up in the hospital. I couldn’t really breathe. The swelling was so bad. But I didn’t want to give up. I didn’t want to throw the towel in.”
An X-ray ruled out a cracked rib, she said. However, she explained that muscle or cartilage damage could feel just as painful and take time to heal.
In rehearsal footage shown on Tuesday, Maura struggled while practising lifts with Mark. She told him she could hear her rib pop during lifts, before a medic was called.
Maura was tearful as she sat down during training.
Maura Higgins’ earlier Dancing With The Stars setbacks
She previously suffered a neck injury in rehearsals before her Super Bowl Night tango.
Maura and Mark also recently survived Disney Night despite finishing bottom of the combined leaderboard on 68/80.
Before the latest injury, Maura had also said she was unwell and shared a photograph of an IV.
Maura Higgins reaches the DWTS semi-final
Her latest Argentine tango routine earned three nines from the judges, giving her and Mark a score of 27.
Bruno Tonioli praised the routine’s elegance, while Derek Hough singled out her technique.
The pair then won their cha-cha dance-off against Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold. Their routine to Sheryl Crow’s All I Wanna Do brought two bonus points.
Read more: DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy breaks silence after shock elimination
That lifted their total to 29 and put them fourth on the leaderboard.
Maura also offered a reassuring update on how she was feeling. She said: “I’m just glad I’m still here. And I’m feeling so much better now.”
Are you backing Maura Higgins on DWTS? Leave us a comment on our Facebook pages @EntertainmentDailyFix and @TheDailyInsiderUS.