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DWTS host Carrie Ann Inaba shared a tribute to Jacoby Jones after his death.
The “Dancing with the Stars” family continues to mourn the difficult loss of a former finalist. Carrie Ann Inaba took to social media to share her sadness over the sudden death of Jacoby Jones.
On July 14, ESPN shared Jones died at his home at the age of 40. Details regarding his cause of death have not been made available yet.
Jacoby Jones’ Shocking Death ‘Saddened’ Carrie Ann Inaba
Inaba shared an Instagram post acknowledging Jones’ death on July 15. The “Dancing with the Stars” judge included a video set to the Nathan Carter song “Wings to Fly.” The clip included a handful of still shots from Jones’ time on the show.
As Entertainment Weekly noted, Jones competed on season 16 of the show. He partnered with Karina Smirnoff, and the duo finished in third place.
In the caption of her Instagram post about Jones, Inaba wrote, “I’m so saddened to hear that another bright light has left us.”
She continued, “You were one of the brightest smiles I’ve ever seen… and you have left us all too soon.”
Several other “Dancing with the Stars” entertainers have shared their own tributes to Jones.
Smirnoff revealed her nickname for Jones was “Big Moe,” and his nickname for her was “Lil Moe.” She wrote on Instagram, “The world lost one of its finest.”
Both Val Chmerkovskiy and Cheryl Burke posted beautiful tributes to Jones on their Instagram pages, as did Anna Trebunskaya.
DWTS Fans Shared Their Sadness Over Jones’ Death
Inaba’s Instagram followers left comments of love and support, sending their condolences to Jones’ family.
“Too young. Very sad. Prayers to his loved ones,” one Instagram user commented.
“So many great losses close together so young I’m saddened by this,” commented another “Dancing with the Stars” fan.
Another follower added, “Noooo. So sad😢. Love, hugs, & prayers.❤️”
Someone else wrote, “😔😔💔💔 SO SO HEARTBROKEN ON THIS!!!🙏🙏🫶🫶 My deepest condolences to his family!!!! #12”
“He was one of the best contestants on DWTS, ever!! RIP…🙏,” declared a different follower of Inaba’s.
“This is so sad 😢 He was always dancing and smiling. Gone too soon and my prayers are with his former teammates, his fans, his love[d] ones and especially his mother and his son,💔🙏🏽💔” read a separate fan’s note.
Inaba’s tribute came just a day after she paid tribute to another former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, Shannen Doherty. The season 10 DWTS contestant died on July 13 according to People.
In her Instagram post about Doherty, Inaba wrote about how the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star had inspired her.
“She taught us to be brave in the face of fear, and how to start a life, even when the end was in sight,” the “Dancing with the Stars” judge shared. Doherty died after a years-long battle against cancer.
In the comments section of her post about Jones, one of Inaba’s followers commented, “Beautiful tribute. As was your tribute to Shannen.”
That same commenter added, “Holding you and the DWTS family in my heart as I am sure this has been a painful few days for you all.”
Stacy Carey has been a freelance writer focusing on reality television and celebrity news for more than a decade. She is a Heavy contributor for The Bachelor, Hallmark and Dancing With the Stars. More about Stacy Carey
