Following their elimination from Dancing with the Stars, pro dancer Ezra Sosa gave his celebrity partner Julia Stiles an emotional sendoff that brought their time on the dance floor full circle — with a heartfelt tribute to her iconic role in 10 Things I Hate About You.
During his goodbye speech, Ezra rewrote the beloved poem from the 1999 romantic comedy, putting his own emotional spin on the famous words to reflect his experience dancing alongside Stiles.
“I hate the way you doubt yourself when I see everything you are,” he began, immediately catching Julia’s attention. “I hate that you can’t see the light that shines from so far. I hate the way you say you’re fine when I know you’re in pain. I hate that when on your hardest days, you’d get back up again. I hate the way you made me laugh when all I wanted was to cry. I hate the way you trusted me when you were terrified to try.”
As Julia began to tear up, Ezra continued with his touching tribute, acknowledging the challenges they faced throughout the competition.
“I hate the way you held my hand when things would fall apart. I hate that somewhere in this season you took a piece of my heart. I hate that people saw the dances but not the battles you fought. I hate that you’ll never understand just how much you taught. But mostly, I hate the way I don’t hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.”
The emotional moment left both partners crying. “Oh, my dear,” Julia told Ezra through tears. “That’s really beautiful. Thank you.” Ezra added, “I’m going to miss you,” with Julia returning the sentiment. “I’m going to miss you, too.”
