Danielle Fishel Powers Through the Pain on 'Dancing with the Stars' Despite Hamstring Tear

The dance floor can be brutal, but Danielle Fishel is proving that determination can outshine discomfort, even while battling a painful hamstring tear that left her leg badly bruised.

Danielle Fishel isn't letting an injury keep her off the ballroom floor.

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the actress performed a cha cha with pro partner Pasha Pashkov during the second episode of "Dancing with the Stars," despite dealing with a hamstring tear. The night featured a "One-Hit Wonders" theme.

"I have a hamstring tear that happened here at dance, and then I had a deep tissue massage, and it broke every blood vessel in the back of my leg," Fishel revealed on the show, displaying a photo of her bruised calf.

"So, a cartwheel right into a split is a lot. I am pushing through the pain. It's a double elimination, and I am not going to let this injury stop me from dancing another week," she added.

Dressed in a neon pink gown, the former "Boy Meets World" star danced to Corona's "Rhythm of the Night."

The judges praised her effort. Bruno Tonioli said she had "the right amount of spice to get me going." Carrie Ann Inaba added, "There's a naturalness and an at-easeness to yourself when you dance. There's a sophistication in the way you move. You're telling a story, even though it's cha cha, you're still telling the story. And I like that." Derek Hough summed it up with one word: "Good."

When co-host Julianne Hough asked how her leg was holding up, Fishel replied, "The adrenaline is pumping, and thank God for body makeup!"

Viewers were also struck by her resilience. "That is you in pain?! Girl, I wanna see you not in pain! You did amazing! 🤩 your heart and talent could win you this show! 🥰" one fan wrote. Another noted, "with a hamstring tear mind you- OKAY. [sic]" A third added, "I can tell she's in pain. Ugh I wish she had time to bounce back. She did so good though!! I have had that pain before and it's really hard to push through!"

Fishel and Pashkov scored 7, 6, and 6, keeping them safe despite a double elimination that sent Corey Feldman and Baron Davis home.

Fishel and the remaining 11 contestants return on September 30, 2025 for "TikTok Night," where they will dance to songs popularized on the app.