Regrets? Mischa Barton has a few. The former O.C. star had quite a short run on ABC’s adored competition series Dancing With the Stars earlier this year, where she and her partner Artem Chigvintsev were eliminated in the second round due to, let’s face it, some pretty mediocre dancing. A second-to-last finish would understandably be frustrating for any competitive person, and Barton certainly isn’t immune to that feeling, as she’s now speaking out about how much she fully regrets being on the show. “Ugh. I had no idea it would be so bad,†she told the Ringer. “I got told off by my dancer. I was supposed to control the costumes, I was told that I could do the design aspect of it, that’s kind of the reason why I agreed to do it.â€
Barton said that the show had been courting her for years to be a contestant, but she declined until she was given more creative control. “That didn’t happen. It wasn’t collaborative like a choreographer on a film set … I was so confused by it,†she explained. “It was like The Hunger Games. It was all a popularity contest. It was awful. I was so glad to get kicked off.†However, in some weird way, Barton says she was grateful for the experience, because it got her more interested in learning about pop culture and controlling her narrative on social media. “I remember the days when you had no voice, and they could make up stories and say whatever they wanted, and now at least they have an insight into your life,†she said. “People can see what you’re really like.â€Â That Mirrorball Trophy works in mysterious ways.