J.R. Martinez the Winner of Dancing with the Stars

After Ricki Lake (43) was eliminated earlier in the show, Rob Kardashian (24) the reality TV brother often overshadowed by his famous and infamous older sisters, went against J.R. Martinez (28) the soldier-turned-actor whose winning over severe burns received in Iraq brought raw emotion to the ballroom.


In the final dance, a samba which both couples had to choreograph on the fly, each earned perfect scores, leaving Kardashian with a one point lead after two nights of competition. But the judges’ scores make up only half the final results. Once the viewers’ votes were calculated, the winner was determined.


J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff won in last.Smirnoff covered her face and began crying when she heard the news.


“First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who voted for us for 10 weeks,” said Martinez. “Thank you, America, for believing in us.”


Then he said to his dance partner Karina, “You are amazing, and I’m so grateful I was able to be a part of your first mirror-ball trophy.”


When he was holding his mirror-ball trophy, Martinez hoisted it high above his head as confetti rained down.


Runner-up Rob Kardashian, (paired with Cheryl Burke), echoed Martinez’s celebratory sentiments. “I’m super thankful,” he said, after the results were announced. “This is such a crazy experience. I’m definitely not sad. I won in my book.”