Picture this: Ariana DeBose, fresh-faced and 18, strutting onto the set of So You Think You Can Dance like she owns the joint, except, plot twist—she doesn’t. Fast forward to today, she’s a Broadway superstar and an Oscar winner. Talk about glow-up goals! But, oh no, her path to stardom wasn’t all glitter and standing ovations. Nope, our girl had to deal with some savage reality TV-level rejection first.
So, Ariana’s spilling the tea about this on The Jennifer Hudson Show, airing this Friday (October 4). Cue the inspirational music.
Why J-Hud, you ask? Because Jennifer Hudson also got rejected on reality TV (hello, American Idol) and went on to collect an Oscar for funsies. It’s like they’re twins, but with less matching outfits and more shiny gold trophies.
If you’re one of the three people on Earth who didn’t know, Ariana graced So You Think You Can Dance at the tender age of 18. Yes, 18, that magical age where you think you’re ready to conquer the world but can barely conquer your laundry.
“It’s wild when I think about that journey,” Ariana said, probably with a graceful flick of her hair. “I didn’t know nothing about nothing.” Preach, girl. Aren’t we all just 18-year-olds on the inside, pretending we know how taxes work? Anyway, she spilled some sage wisdom, saying she didn’t need to win that show to be successful. Because guess what? She didn’t. And now, she’s out here winning at life without needing a reality TV crown.
But it’s the wisdom nugget she dropped next that should be cross-stitched on a pillow: Rejection doesn’t have to define you.
At 18, rejection feels like a disaster of Titanic proportions. But Ariana figured out how to flip the script, like the magical unicorn she is. “If you can learn to reframe that rejection, it can change your life,” she says. And now, she’s dancing through life with an Oscar in one hand and probably a latte in the other.
Meanwhile, also in the news of Ariana just being fabulous, she strutted the red carpet at a super spooky screening of her new horror flick, House of Spoils (because of course she’s doing horror now too—what can’t this woman do?). The event, hosted by Prime Video, Primero Latino, and Ariana herself, was basically a night of glamour meets ghoulishness. Did we mention there was a curated dinner? Yes, curated. Because even when she’s scaring people, Ariana makes sure it’s classy.
Anyway, if you haven’t watched House of Spoils yet, do it! Preferably in the dark, because what’s life without a little extra drama?
