Zendaya’s hopes for winning the Mirror Ball Trophy in tonight’s finale of the reality dancing competition may have just been dashed. During the 16-year-old’s final rehearsal today, she accidentally elbowed her partner Valentin Chmerkovsky in the face leaving him swollen and bleeding from above his right eye.
“They looked as if nothing could stop them tonight and then wham Zendaya’s elbow caught him in the face,” a source on the set tells Star Magazine exclusively.
Valentin appeared to be in pain as he attempted to stop the bleeding and ice down the swelling. Although show staffers wanted him to go to a doctor and get stitches he refused saying, “I am staying, I can take care of it after.”
“They have put so much time and effort into this he does not want to take the chance of missing even a minute,” continues the eyewitness. “He is holding a towel on it and they are planning to bandage it.”
The star of Disney Channel’s, Shake It Up, feels terrible about hurting her partner.
“Zendaya is feels sick about what happened but she knows Val is tough and needs to focus on her dancing tonight.”
The pair is set to perform three dances, including a Cha Cha and a super-sized freestyle dance.
The Season 16 finale airs on Tuesday where the winner will be announced. Zendaya is competing against fellow celebrities American Idol alum Kellie Pickler, NFL star Jacoby Jones and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman.
Update: Val and Zendaya danced despite his injury and even got three perfect 10s for a perfect score from the judges!