Kim Zolciak forced to withdraw from "Dancing with the Stars"
Kim Zolciak-Biermann's health drama finally played out on Monday's "Dancing with the Stars," and the reality star and pro partner Tony Dovolani were forced to withdraw from the competition.
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star had flown home after last week's episode when she suffered a blood clot that caused a "mini-stroke" on Wednesday. Zolciak said the entire left side of her body went numb, calling it "the scariest thing I've ever been through in my whole life."
"I'm honestly worried," Dovolani, who flew to Atlanta to be by his partner's side, said during the week. "A stroke is nothing to mess around with, whether it's minor or massive."
Zolciak-Biermann was advised by her doctor on Sunday not to fly back to Los Angeles, forcing Dovolani to perform the pair's samba with fellow pro dancer Jenna Johnson. Unfortunately for the pair, host Tom Bergeron explained that missing Monday's live show meant Zolciak had to withdraw from the competition.
Zolciak-Biermann joined the show live via Skype after the dance, protesting that she could dance, she just couldn't fly and adding that she felt "great."
"I practiced for hours Saturday I was so excited to be there tonight! I just needed a few more days and then I'm cleared to fly!" Zolciak-Biermann instagrammed shortly after Skyping into the show, with a video of her and Dovolani rehearsing, adding the hashtags, "#ImReallySad" and "#ImStrong."
"I just wish her well," Dovolani said of his partner, though he did ask for the rules to be bent, just once -- a request Bergeron denied. "Family comes first, health comes first. I'm glad she listened to the doctors."
"I want to thank everyone for their love and support over the past few days," Zolciak told ET through a statement from her rep on Sunday. "I am now home with my family, resting and taking care of my health. I can't express enough how much I love dancing and this whole experience."