'Parent Trap' Star Elaine Hendrix Recounts Scary Car Accident – "I’m Really Lucky"
The accident ended Elaine's dancing career.
Published Sept. 17 2025, 11:39 a.m. ET
Actress Elaine Hendrix has worn many hats over the years, from scheming Meredith Blake in The Parent Trap to scene-stealing roles on TV.
Her Season 34 Dancing With the Stars debut with pro partner Alan Bersten kicked off with a cheeky callback to her iconic Parent Trap role, complete with a wide-brimmed black hat and even the movie’s famous twin handshake woven into the routine.
But it wasn’t just the cha-cha that had fans buzzing.
Nostalgia aside, her debut carried a deeper meaning and had fans turning to the internet with one unexpected question: "Was she hit by a car?"
We’ve got the story behind her journey and the car accident that altered the course of her life.
Elaine Hendrix was hit by a car early in her career and it changed everything.
In rehearsal footage, Elaine revealed that dancing was her first love and her first career. She trained as a professional dancer, but her dreams came to a halt after she was hit by a car while riding her bike in the early '90s.
The accident left her unable to pursue the path she’d imagined, forcing her to step away from the studio for decades.
“I’m really lucky I walked away from it,” she told dance partner Alan, sharing that while she still feels 21 at heart, her body has its own challenges now.
Judge Derek Hough acknowledged the significance of her comeback. “Your journey for reclaiming dance has begun tonight,” he told her, highlighting how the performance was less about scores and more about her own personal triumph and not giving up on something she once loved.
Elaine was a trained dancer and model before becoming an actress.
Before landing roles in Dynasty, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, and of course, The Parent Trap, Elaine was a trained dancer and model with the Gary Harrison Dance Company.
She also danced with several hip-hop artists, including Keith Sweat and MC Hammer.
Before being cast on DWTS in 2025, Elaine explained that she hadn’t danced in a studio in around 30 years, but wanted to prove to herself, and to other women, that age is just a number.
“I want to show that you can always come back to what you love,” she said, framing her Dancing With The Stars journey as more than just a competition.
In an earlier interview with The National Desk, Elaine also shared that she was excited to learn a new form of dance.
"I’ve never done ballroom,” Elaine said. "The whole experience for me is why I wanted to do it. I don’t know that I’d ever get this opportunity at any other time in my life. So, I had to say yes when they asked me."