Laurie Hernandez Had a Breakdown

After Lauren Zoe “Laurie” Hernandez found out that her grandmother had passed away she had a bit of a breakdown on the show “Dancing with the Stars”. Just a few days after her grandmother Brunilda Hernandez had died after struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, she had to perform on the show.

In fact, the 16-year-old did a pre-recorded package for the show, which showed her talking about her grandmother's health. Hernandez stated in the package that she feels awful as she had not gotten the opportunity to return home to visit her grandmother, but wanted to visit soon. Unfortunately, her grandmother passed away the day after they filmed the package.

The Olympic champion has been a favorite of fans all season long. After her grandmother's death, the audience was informed before Hernandez performed with Val Chmerkovskiy. The couple dressed in purple to support Alzheimer's awareness, then performed the foxtrot. Throughout the performance, Hernandez could be seen wiping tears away.

After the dance, Hernandez was awarded a perfect score. She was told by the judges to celebrate the life of her grandmother and her incredible talents on stage.

The name Lauren is a variant and feminine version of the masculine name Laurence, which is from the Roman cognomen Laurentius that means “from Laurentum”. In ancient Italy, Laurentum was a city whose name was most likely taken from the Latin laurus or “laurel”.

The name Lauren was first used as a masculine name, however, it became common as a feminine name after the actress Betty Jean Perske used Lauren Bacall for her very own stage name.