Elaine Hendrix Opens Up About Being Hit By a Car in 1992 (Exclusive)
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NEED TO KNOW
- Elaine Hendrix spoke candidly to PEOPLE about the injuries she sustained in a “very serious” car accident in 1992
- The actress, 54, revealed that the injuries sometimes hinder her Dancing with the Stars rehearsals with partner Alan Bersten
- “The thing that we focus on is to do whatever I need to do to make sure show day is a good day,” Hendrix tells PEOPLE
Elaine Hendrix is refusing to let injuries sustained over 30 years ago keep her from dancing.
The Parent Trap actress, 54, was forced to pivot her career from classical dancing more towards acting after being hit by a car while riding a bike in Los Angeles in 1992, per The Huffington Post.
While filming Dancing with the Stars Season 34, Week 2, at CBS Studios in Hollywood, Calif., she spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about overcoming the health issues she’s had ever since the accident.
“It’s a roller coaster because I have very real injuries, sustained from a very serious accident and other things that happened in life,” Hendrix tells PEOPLE. “So I have good days, and I have challenging days. The thing that we focus on is to do whatever I need to do to make sure show day is a good day.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
Hendrix and dance partner Alan Bersten wowed the Dancing with the Stars judges with their fast-paced jive to “Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil on Tuesday, Sept. 23. The week before, they delivered an electric cha-cha-cha to “Woman” by Kesha.
The pair has currently scored 33/50 total, placing them towards the middle of the leaderboard.
Bersten, 31, reveals he’s been pleased with the Dynasty actress’s work ethic in rehearsal despite the injuries plaguing her.
“What’s incredible about Elaine is, obviously, she’s putting in a lot of hard work for dancing, but she’s also doing a lot of recovery,” Bersten tells PEOPLE. “And so, even when we’re done with rehearsals, she’s still going to physical therapy and making sure to ice.”
ABC/Jose Alvarado, Jr.
“I’m grateful that she loves this so much because you can see she’s putting everything into this,” he continues, as Elaine adds, “Yeah, I take it seriously.”
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The Freakier Friday star previously told PEOPLE that her “heart was immediately fluttering” when she was asked to join DWTS.
“It was an immediate yes for me,” she said.
“Elaine has definitely surpassed all expectations I’ve had already,” Bersten chimed in. “She’s gonna surprise a lot of people.”
Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and PT on ABC. Episodes are available for streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
