Dancing with the Stars 2010 Drama Bytes: Death Threats for Erin Andrews, Broken Bones for Evan Lysacek

With just a few weeks of Dancing with the Stars 2010 competition down and only one celebrity - actress Shannen Doherty - vanquished to date, the ballroom's already abuzz with potentially season-ending drama for contenders Erin Andrews and Evan Lysacek. Here's a look at what's surfaced since the first DWTS season 10 elimination show, and a gander back at some of the drama that's plagued previous seasons of the hit reality dance competition.

Dancing with the Stars 2010 celebrity contestant Erin Andrews gained unwanted national fame in 2009 after stalker Michael David Barrett recorded naked peephole videos of the blonde ESPN sportscaster and posted them to the internet. Andrews is again having difficulties with a stalker, only this go-round, the perpetrator has allegedly issued repeated death threats against Andrews and her family. In response, the 31-year old, who most recently danced an elegant foxtrot with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy set to Taylor Swift's Love Story, asked Dancing with the Stars staff to beef up security. Law enforcement reps shared details of the some the threats, which were sent via email to The Dan Patrick Show and have been traced to a Newport News, VA man, with TMZ. A chilling March 26th note reads in part "I would love to see if she can dance away from a hail of gunfire".

Despite the threats, Andrews will continue to take part in Dancing with the Stars 2010. According to an article in People Online, her attorney, Marshall Grossman, released a statement saying that she has "every intention to meet her obligations". That's bravery, drive and determination at work.

Experiencing a different kind of potentially Dancing with the Stars 2010 season-ending situation is figure skater Evan Lysacek. The Olympic gold medalist sustained two broken toes during he and partner Anna Trebunskaya's energetic greaser-style jive last week. He Tweeted the news to followers early Friday morning. Lysacek's representative told TVGuide.com that the skater would perform his quickstep (double ouch) on Monday.

'Evan Lysacek' and 'competing while in pain' aren't incompatible terms; the workhorse athlete won the men's World Figure Skating championship title a year ago with a stress fracture in his foot. If he can skate and land difficult jumps on a fractured foot, dancing on something as piddly as two broken toes should be a cake walk for the Dancing with the Stars 2010 favorite. And it's likely that Lysacek himself carries the same thoughts; his official website calls Lysacek a "ferocious competitor" who "lives by the philosophy that each day is a fresh start", so of course he'll work through the discomfort and surge onward to 'gold' on DWTS.

Although participants have been largely immune to threats of physical harm like those targeting Erin Andrews, injuries are not unique to Dancing with the Stars 2010. Past seasons of the reality show have involved numerous injuries to contestants and pro dancers alike. Just last week, pro dancer Mark Ballas, partner of eliminee Shannen Doherty, tore the muscle from the bone on his knee, which may or may not require reparative surgery. Olympic gold medal-winning volleyball player Misty May-Treanor was forced to withdraw from DWTS season 7 after rupturing her Achilles Tendon during a rehearsal. DWTS season 6 contestant Cristian de la Fuente required surgery after tearing a tendon in his arm. And the list goes on and on; the rigors of the competition are often more than celebs intend, and injuries happen.

Dancing with the Stars resumes Monday with challenged stars Erin Andrews and Evan Lysacek in the projected line-up. Each of the 10 pairs still competing for the mirrorball trophy will perform a Waltz, Paso Doble or Quickstep.

Sources

Antoinette Y. Coulton, Erin Andrews to Keep on Dancing Despite Death Threats, People Online

TMZ Staff, Erin Andrews -- Emailer Talks 'Suicide Vest', TMZ

Evan Lysacek Twitter

Joyce Eng, Evan Lysacek Has Two Broken Toes; Will He Still Go Dancing?, TVGuide.com

Evan Lysacek Biography, Evan Lysacek Official Website