Dylan Efron revealed that Zac Efron got “defensive” when he heard that his reaction to his brother’s Dancing With the Stars scores went viral.
“I actually did speak to Zac about this because I was just saying it as I thought it was funny,” Dylan, 33, said during a Tuesday, November 9, appearance on SiriusXM’s Smith Sisters Live. “But then Zac was like, ‘Oh no.’ He’s like, ‘They’re misinterpreting it.’”
While Dylan didn’t remember Zac’s exact phrasing, he recalled his brother telling him it was an excellent performance.
“And I can’t remember what he was saying, but I think he said that he thought it was a really good dance,” he recalled. “So he is like, ‘Is that the highest score they would give?’”
Dylan Efron Tears Up Over ‘Selfless’ Brother Zac on ‘DWTS’ Dedication Night
Zac, 38, made his debut in the DWTS ballroom alongside his family to support Dylan during the season 34 semi-finals last month. After Dylan and partner Daniella Karagach earned a 27 for their tango to Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U,” the camera panned to Zac who turned to his mom to seemingly ask a question.
The moment went viral online as fans tried to figure out what Zac was saying. Social media lip-readers theorized that the High School Musical star had asked, “Are those good scores?”
Following the moment, Dylan asked Zac the question the Internet had been wondering.
“I think he was more like, ‘That should have been higher or something like that,’” Dylan explained on Tuesday. “But that Zac was, yeah, I don’t know. It was funny regardless. But Zac got defensive. He is like, ‘No, they misinterpreted what I meant.’”
During the show, Zac shared his support for Dylan by encouraging his fans to vote for him to make it to the finale.
“Vote for @dylanefron tonight on DWTS!” Zac wrote via his Instagram Story before the live taping came to an end. “Text ‘Dylan’ to 21523 ten times.”
Dylan previously shared how grateful he was to Zac to take the time to come support him amid his busy schedule.
“It means everything. I grew up watching him do stuff like this,” Dylan told Entertainment Tonight last month following the semi-final episode. “Looking over, my family’s there, my girlfriend. Just seeing all of them together, that’s my support.”
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While Zac thought his brother should have been scored higher that night, Dylan ultimately made it to the finals. He competed against Robert Irwin, Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles and Elaine Hendrix for the mirrorball. Zac ultimately did not attend the DWTS finale, but he was there in spirit. Dylan gave his big brother a shout out before taking the stage.
“My whole life, I watched my brother perform,” the Traitors winner said in a pretaped package. “I never wanted to be in the spotlight, and the fact that I can step out onstage and capture people’s attention truly gives me chills. I finally feel like I belong here.”
Dylan, who had zero dance experience when the competition began, came in fourth place. Irwin, who also did not have previous dance experience, and partner Witney Carson were crowned the champions.