Dancing With the Stars: Dylan Efron explains Zac Efron's reaction to the viral Prince Night clip

Dylan Efron has clarified how Dancing With the Stars turned a brief Prince Night audience shot of Zac Efron into a viral mystery about scoring and brotherly support.

During a November season 34 episode of Dancing With the Stars, cameras caught Zac reacting in the crowd after Dylan and pro partner Daniella Karagach received their judges’ numbers, sparking online speculation that the movie star had questioned the fairness of the score.

Speaking on The Smith Sisters Live, Dylan said his brother’s reaction was less about confusion and more about wanting to see a higher number for the performance. 

“Zac got defensive,” Dylan explained, recalling their conversation about the moment. 

“I actually did speak to Zac about this.”

The clip from Dancing With the Stars’ Prince Night, which aired November 18, showed Zac leaning toward another audience member as the panel’s scores came up for Dylan and Karagach’s tango to “I Would Die 4 U.”

Viewers on social media captioned the footage with what they believed he had said, with some insisting he asked, “Is that their high score?”

Dylan told the podcast that what Zac actually said during the Dancing With the Stars broadcast was, “Is that a good score?” and that the intent behind it was pure support.

As Dylan put it, “Apparently, he thought it was a really good dance,” and was trying to figure out whether the numbers reflected that.

Dancing With the Stars Prince Night and the score that sparked debate

On Dancing With the Stars Prince Night, Dylan and Daniella performed two routines: a cha‑cha to Prince’s 1986 hit “Kiss” and a tango to the 1984 track “I Would Die 4 U.”

The tango, which came later in the show, earned 27 points out of 30 from the judges, a strong result that still left room for higher marks from the panel.

That score set the stage for the Prince Night reaction shot that would circulate widely, as cameras cut from the dance floor to Zac and other family members in the audience.

Dylan explained that the viral moment hinged on how the brief Dancing With the Stars clip was interpreted once it made its way online.

He said some fans and outlets claimed Zac had asked, “Is that their high score?” as if he were puzzled by the scoring system or questioning the judges’ choices.

Dylan relayed his brother’s version of events. He recalled,

“But then Zac was like, ‘Oh, no.’ He’s like, ‘They’re misinterpreting it.’”

According to Dylan, Zac told him that he had been thinking about how much he liked the dance and was really asking whether the 27 was “the highest score they would give” for that routine.

The younger Efron suggested that, in context, Zac viewed the Dancing With the Stars Prince Night performance as something that deserved an even stronger numerical reward. Dylan said on the podcast,

“So I think he was more like that should have been higher or something like that.” 

He added again that “Zac got defensive,” not at the show but at the way viewers online had read his expression and lip movements. 

“He’s like, ‘No, they misinterpreted what I meant.’”

Despite the swirl around Zac’s reaction, Dylan and Daniella continued their Dancing With the Stars season 34 run and ultimately finished fourth overall.

Before his elimination, Dylan used one of the show’s video packages to speak about his relationship with his older brother, telling viewers that Zac had “always taken care of me and he did things that were so selfless,” underscoring the foundation of support behind the Prince Night moment.

The season ended on November 24, when Robert Irwin and pro partner Witney Carson lifted the mirrorball trophy in the Dancing With the Stars finale.

Stay tuned for more updates.