'DWTS' recap: Perfect-scoring star says she's 'on a ton of medication' for major injury

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Published May 24, 2017

Singer Normandi Kordei and her "Dancing With the Stars" partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy. (ABC)

"Movie Night" on "Dancing with the Stars" provided plenty of drama -- including a double elimination and a badly injured celebrity who sought medical help.

Ice skater Nancy Kerrigan and "The Bachelor" star Nick Viall reached the end of their "DWTS" road on Monday night.

But Fifth Harmony singer Normani Kordei was the story of week seven, as she was injured but later received a perfect score for her individual dance with partner Val Chmerkovskiy.

Kordei performed a flawless Argentine tango for her "foreign film" theme, receiving a score of 40 out of 40 from the four judges, including choreographer guest judge Mandy Moore, substituting for Julianne Hough.

Rehearsal footage showed Kordei wincing in pain and telling partner Chmerkovskiy,"My back and hips have been killing me."

She got an MRI done by an orthopedic surgeon, and Kordei explained to FOX411 after the show, "I had a severe strain in both my upper back and also in my hip. It just so happened that it was in two places at the same time. And he said it was pretty severe."

Kordei added, "I'm icing it and taking my medicine. I’m like on a ton of medication, I hate to even say that-- all prescribed by the doctor, I promise--and then [getting] therapy every single day.

"But it was super serious. [The doctor] literally told me if I kept going at the rate that I'm going, I could crack my hip, which I don’t want as I have three weeks left in the competition and it’s so close, yet so far but I have to play it smart."

Chmerkovskiy sighed about the doctor's warning, "There was a lot of really dramatic things said."

But Kordei of Fifth Harmony triumphed on Monday night and by scoring the highest, she won immunity and didn't have to compete in the "dance off." She picked up an extra three points for immunity, winding up with a total of 43.

Others weren't so lucky as Kerrigan, who performed a romance movie tango, and Viall, whose Argentine tango had an action film theme, said their goodbyes.

"DWTS" choreographer Moore, who spoke to reporters after her guest judge stint, said the Olympic ice queen was a perfectionist and added, "I think sometimes her perfection didn't 'read' for people, but I was a huge fan of Nancy."

Also sent packing was the Bachelor and Moore noted, "Nick is a dude that just started dancing. I think for him, he had a real roller coaster on the show."

Of the stars remaining, who all had to do an individual dance plus compete in a "dance off," football player Rashad Jennings and gymnast Simone Biles tied for second place with a cumulative 39 points each.

NFL player Jennings performed a horror movie inspired Paso Doble on Monday and told reporters later that he came up with the scary idea for the routine and his dream would be to write film screenplays one day.

Biles, with partner Sasha Farber by her side, said of her silent movie Charleston that she learned the entire dance in six hours: "I actually picked it up the quickest ever. I was locked in.

"I’m coming out of my shell week by week," Biles added. "I feel like I've matured a lot being on this show.

"I've had to be a lot more independent to deal with grown men all the time. It's just a struggle," she joked about Farber.

Farber told reporters of his upcoming wedding to fellow pro Slater, who will both go on the upcoming "DWTS" tour together, "We'll be planning [it] on the tour bus. I know we're going to do it in L.A., we just don't have a date or a place or a time."

Former baseball player David Ross scored a combined 32 points and bull rider Bonner Bolton earned 31 for the night.

Ross admitted to FOX411 that he was shocked to make it through to week eight next Monday.

He commented about his science fiction themed salsa--which Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said "was full of content"--"I'm not a big sci fi guy, but it was fun! I’m having the time of my life."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/dwts-recap-perfect-scoring-star-says-shes-on-a-ton-of-medication-for-major-injury