Vote for the Girls (American season 9)

Vote for the Girls (U.S.)
Season 9
Broadcast from	August 9, 2017 (2017-08-09) – May 24, 2018 (2018-05-24)
Moderators	see article
Host(s)	Ava Zinn Alexandra Moffitt
Record	4-0
Winning Moderator(s):
Rachael Passalt - SYTYCD14 Lauren Herman - AGT12 Kylie Dwyar - DWTS25 Ava Zinn - The Voice 13 Alexandra Moffitt - DWTS26 Kendra & Hannah - American Idol 16 Breeanna Sorensen - The Voice 14
VFTG Victory(ies)
Darci Lynne Farmer - AGT12 Chloe Kohanski & Addison Agen - The Voice 13 Maddie Poppe - American Idol 16 Brynn Cartelli - The Voice 14
Chronology
◀ 2017-18 ►

The ninth season of Vote for the Girls premiered on August 9, 2017 and ended on May 25, 2018. Ava Zinn officially announced Vote for the Girls's renewal in May 2017.

Ava Zinn returned for her ninth consecutive season with Thia Tola, Lanise White, Kendra Ray, Danni McClannahan, Kathi Jameson, and Karly Jameson returning for their fourth season; Nadia Lorenzo, Peta-Alyce Kaizer, Maribel Mort, Maci Blanca, Sophia Blanca, Natasha Gower, Jenny Riva, Tulissa Kümmert, Rachael Passalt, Hannah Wilson, Kylie Dwyar, Marti McDaniel, Breeanna Sorensen, Tim Doogan, Donna Doogan also returned for their second season. Additions to the moderator panelists include Carrie Ewan, Alexandra Moffitt, Marla McClinton, Kent Morgan, Sally Morgan, Jenna Monroe, Benjamin Donbar, Sonia Donbar, and Janet Webb, all joined the moderator panel. Also Kristina Chow, her wife Charlene, Karla Hansen, and Louis Durant all joined during the season.

Clark Jones returned for his fifth season as well as Luka Runecraft and Glenn Swaringen returning for their third with Phil Allen, Ted Shields, Steve Baker, Lydia Delagatto (formerly Bill), Jacqui Fountaine, Kye Sanchez, Devin Martin and Bria Savage (formerly Tavon) all returning for a second season. Fountaine, Martin, and Savage moved to the moderator panel after Karen DuBois, Hunter Diaz, Lauren Herman, Liza Black, Bryant Cortos, Shane Spence, Raquel Anderston, Sheena Anderston, Mark Watts, Chris Winfrey, Andrea Coolranch, Stephanie Reeves, Leanna Claussen, Eboni Hill, Diane Simon, Lauren Rodriguez, Kristin Cassidy, Erika Cassidy, and Dan Doakes all joined Zinn's Villains.

Archibald Coolranch did not return as a villain as he announced he is retiring as head villain . Kymberly Alvaraz, Tracia Matthewson, Hillary Matthewson, and Ann Dwyar also did not return after Ava Zinn announced her relationship with Alvaraz ended on May 31, 2017 while Tracia and Hillary Matthewson left the panel to focus on their journalism careers (Tracia Matthewson switched anchor positions with Alexandra Moffitt at WTOR-FTV) while Alvaraz moved back to her home state of Colorado where she eventually died on August 25, 2017. Coolranch's great-granddaughter, Andrea, took over.

Holly Everman died during production of the scheduled eighth season finale on May 23, 2017 and Perri Johnson died on April 24, 2017.

This was the final season to be recorded in Marion, Indiana as well as the final season to feature Glenn Swaringen, Ted Shields, Kent Morgan, Sally Brock, Peta-Alyce Kaizer, and Carrie Ewan, and the only season to feature Spence, the Anderstons, the Cassidys, Winfrey, Reeves, Ewan, Chow, Benjamin Donbar.

This season marks the first time one division (Purple Team North) in which all three moderators have been a winning moderator during the season (Rachael Passalt was the winning moderator after So You Think You Can Dance 14 flex pick Lex Ishimoto was decalred the winner making this Passalt's first win as a moderator in September 2017; Ava Zinn won as Chloe Kohanski and Zinn's local pick Addison Agen were respectively the winner and runner-up of The Voice 13, marking Ava Zinn's 13th win as moderator in December 2017; and Kendra Ray & Hannah Wilson's pick of Maddie Poppe was announced as the winner of American Idol 16, marking the second win for Kendra Ray but Hannah Wilson's first). Other moderator wins were Lauren Herman's pick of Darci Lynne Farmer winning America's Got Talent 12 (Herman's first win as moderator), Kylie Dwyar's pick of Jordan Fisher winning DWTS 25 (Dwyar's first win as moderator), Jenny Riva & Tulissa Kummert's pick of Evvie McKinney winning the first season of The Four (Riuva & Kummert's first win as moderator), Alexandra Moffitt's pick of Adam Rippon winning DWTS 26 (Moffit's first win as moderator), and Breeanns Sorensen's pick of Brynn Cartelli wining The Voice 14 (Sorensen's second win after The Voice 13).

For only the second time in VFTG's history, founder and host Ava Zinn did not host the spring cycle due to her being busy with her move from Marion to Fort Wayne, Indiana as well as relaunching her animated sircom Queen of the Willis (Karly Jameson, Rachael Passalt, and Kendra Ray rotated as guest hosts to fill in for Zinn). Zinn was present for the season 9 VFTG finale and the finales of The Voice 14, DWTS 26 and American Idol 16 that aired as the season premiere of the following season. It was also the first time a perfect regular season in which females have won both seasons of The Voice and American Idol and no make-up competitions were needed for the following season. It was also the first time the local (Fort Wayne) picks of Addison Agen and Christina Danielle dominated Vote for the Girls.

Changes from past seasons

Moderators

Holly Everman, who had been a moderator since the first season, died on May 23, 2017, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound upon seeing that her pick of Normani Kordei was announced as the third place contestant on Dancing with the Stars. After her death, Vote for the Girls began rotating co-hosting duties among several guest hosts and moderators, including former KDNC anchorwoman Janet Webb (who was co-hosting the British version), WTOR anchorwomen Alexandra Moffitt and Season Atkins. Vote for the Girls host Ava Zinn described Everman as "the perfect voice of the site." Everman's last hosted episode aired on May 17, 2017, a week before her death. Everman was succeeded by Maribel Mort on the Pink Team East and Alexandra Moffitt as co-host. The ninth season premiere of Vote for the Girls was dedicated to her memory.

On May 31, 2017, Ava Zinn announced Kymberly Alvaraz would no longer appear on Vote for the Girls as well as ending her relationship with Alvaraz that ended in legal action. Zinn cited Alvaraz's domestic violence incident and her recent confession as the prime reason for the relationship ending in legal action. Later that day, NoSirGifts Fantasy Television Stations and Aeverine Zinn Holdings both ended their relationships with Kymberly Alvaraz: NoSirGifts announced that Alvaraz' contract with CBS 41 was terminated and also removed Alvaraz from Vote for the Girls USA, while Ava Zinn ended the relationship with Alvaraz. On June 20, 2017, it was announced that Alvaraz would no longer appear on the NoSirGifts-produced and Aeverine Zinn Holdings-owned Vote for the Girls for the ninth season. NoSirGifts CEO Jack Steele claimed, "We were the last project standing behind her" but said that pulling her from the show was "the right thing to do in light of the recent court deposition being made public." Alvaraz died on August 25, 2017.

Villains

Archibald Coolranch, who had been a villain since the first season, announced he was retiring as head villain at the end of the eighth season.

Guest Moderators

Date	Show	Host(s)	Guest moderator(s)	Moderator(s) absent
September 11, 2017	So You Think You Can Dance 14 Semi-Final Result	Alexandra Moffitt Karly Jameson	Kris Chow Karla Hansen	Ava Zinn
September 13, 2017	America's Got Talent 12 Semi-Final Result	Kendra Ray Karly Jameson
September 20, 2017	America's Got Talent 12 Winner Revealed	Kendra Ray Alexandra Moffitt
September 25, 2017	So You Think You Can Dance 14 Winner Revealed Dancing with the Stars 25 Top 12/13 Result
October 2, 2017	Dancing with the Stars 25 Top 11 Result
October 9, 2017	Dancing with the Stars 25 Top 10 Result
October 16, 2017	Dancing with the Stars 25 Top 9 Result

Notes

1. ^ During the America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance competitions, moderators Karly Jameson and Kendra Ray respectively served as temporary replacement for Ava Zinn and Alexandra Moffitt
2. ^ Kristina Chow filled in as guest moderator in Zinn's absence.
3. ^ Karla Hansen served as guest moderator.

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Notable events

Notable deaths

The following people associated with VFTG (or VFTW) have died in 2017.

Holly Everman

Holly Everman was the pink team captain. Having been officially involved with Vote for the Girls since 2010, Everman was a part of Vote for the Girls' success in the American Idol campaign with Candace Glover, Alex & Sierra, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Gaby Diaz. In addition to this, Everman was considered an active and progressive owner in the site's operations. Everman died on May 23 at the age of 37.

Kymberly Alvaraz

On August 21, 2017, police were called to Alvaraz's home in Denver, Colorado over reports of a disturbance. Alvaraz had reportedly destroyed the inside of her home and had also been banging her head against the walls. Shortly after police arrived, Alvaraz's estranged girlfriend, Ava Zinn, informed them via telephone that Alvaraz was suicidal and had spent the previous two months in the hospital for a suicide attempt. She was involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric ward of Denver Health Medical Center by the police and placed on a 72-hour mental observation hold. Early the next morning, she fashioned a noose from her hospital sheets and hanged herself in a closet.

Peta-Alyce Kaizer and Benjamin Donbar

Purple Team moderators Benjamin Donbar and Peta-Alyce Kaizer were fatally stabbed by Pink Team West moderator Kent Morgan and Sally Brock on October 16 during a bench-clearing brawl. Kaizer suffered stab wounds to the abdomen while Donbar had wounds to his arm, rib cage and chest according to the autopsies obtained by CBS 41 (WTOR). Kaizer died from her injuries hours after the incident and Donbar the next day.

Pending a decision by NoSirGifts and Aeverine Zinn Holdings for the remainder of the season, the staff on VFTG will honor Kaizer and Donbar by applying a decal with "PAK & BD" on the left back side of their notebook tablets. Respective 22 and 29 second memory will be honored in an upcoming episode if and when VFTG resumes production.

Discipline for on-set incidents

Addisongate

Upon seeing Addison Agen did not get the four chair turn during the blind auditions of season 13 of The Voice, Pink Team East moderator Maribel Mort shoved Pink Team North moderators Andrea Coolranch onto the floor after Coolranch reportedly pulling Mort's hair-tie and repeatedly throughout the episode, Pink Team South moderators Karla Hansen, Breeanna Sorensen and Jenna Monroe, and Purple Team West moderators Thia Tola and Jenny Riva all lost their tempers and Mort pulled off Coolranch's necklace and Riva ripping off Tola's pants and bit host Ava Zinn's left wrist. Riva and Mort respectively then threw Tola's pants and Coolranch's necklace onto the notorious Cat Pound fan section of Ava Zinn and Alexandra Moffitt audience and were promptly thrown to the ground by Sorensnen. Riva and Mort then proceeded to strike Tola and Hansen, respectively, on the back of their heads before being pulled away by Purple Team North Moderators Rachael Passalt and Kendra Ray.

Mort, Coolranch, Sorensen, Monroe, Hansen, Tola, and Riva were ejected from the episode, and were initially fined $10,000 for their unsportsmanlike actions. Mort and Riva were suspended for the reminder of the season due to the nature of the altercation.

Kye Sanchez-Clark Jones incident

On October 10, 2017 Red Team South Villain Clark Jones punched Red Team West Villain Kye Sanchez in the face and not only fracturing his jaw, but in the process, as Sanchez fell onto the floor, VFTG host and Purple Team North moderator Ava Zinn fell to the ground and suffered a minor shoulder injury. The incident allegedly took place after Purple Team South moderator Devin Martin took offense to Jones' comment as the audition of a villain's audition on The Voice (later to be revealed) and an argument between Martin, Bria Savage, Purple Team South Moderators Tim Doogan and Ben Donbar.

Jones, Sanchez, Savage, and Martin were ejected from the episode and were fined $20,000 for their unsportsmanlike actions. Jones and Sanchez were fined an additional $20,000 for injuring Zinn. Doogan and Donbar were fined $10,000. Sanchez and Jones were suspended for the remainder of the season. Sanchez's disqualification marked the first time a moderator or villain has been disqualified despite being the winning villian of a competition (Sanchez had been declared the winning villain of Boy Band with supported contestants Sergio Caldreon and Chance Perez) and also marks the second consecutive season Jones was disqualified (Jones had erroneously picked Rick Perry & Emma Slater as a villain pick for the twenty-third season of Dancing with the Stars and was disqualified after Sasha Farber and Emma Slater became engaged a year earlier. Jones picked Rick Perry & Slater while Thia & Natasha chose Terra Jole & Farber, which is a violation of the moderator rules). Clark Jones was fired from the panel on October 22, 2017.

Kent & Sal charged with murder, assault

On October 16, 2017, Pink Team West duo moderator Kent & Sal was charged with the murders of Purple Team South moderator Benjamin Donbar and Purple Team East moderator Peta-Alyce Kaizer. Kent Morgan and Sal Brock, along with Red Team South villain Clark Jones, were terminated by host Ava Zinn following his arrest in the murder investigation a week later.

Four other moderators — Ava Zinn, Andrea Coolranch, Nadia Lorenzo, and Marla McClinton — all suffered stab wounds in the incident.

Zinn and NoSirGifts Fantasy Television Stations President and CEO Jackson Steele conducted an official five year investigation into the matter concluded that other VFTG staff had been subjected to a "pattern of bullying" at the hands of former moderators Kymberly Alvaraz and Robyn Hurd as well as former villains Archibald Coolracnh and Leonard Lai. The 23-page report, written by NoSirGifts-appointed investigator Ken Watts (brother of villain Mark Watts and investigative reporter at CBS 41), agreed with Ava Zinn's assessment of the situation as a "classic case of workplace violence".

If convicted, Morgan and Brock could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Discipline for off-set incidents

Janet Webb charged with DWI; suspended 10 shows

Purple Team West moderator Janet Webb was arrested on October 26 near her apartment in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) after failing field sobriety tests. A search of Webb's vehicle revealed "numerous prescription medication bottles containing pills" as well as almost $6,000 in cash. Preliminary charges of DWI and three counts of possession of a controlled substance were filed against Webb, who was jailed overnight. Webb entered a rehabilitation facility shortly after her release from jail.

In late November, Webb was charged with two misdemeanor counts in the incident: operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in the body. Prosecutors allege Webb was under the influence of oxycodone or hydrocodone, both of which are prescription opioid narcotic pain medications.

Webb also admitted to an unrelated incident on October 16, 2017 and was charged with six counts of manslaughter for her own role in the incident that killed two moderators and injured four others.

Webb pleaded guilty on October 27 to one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), which is a Class C misdemeanor in Indiana and six counts of voluntary manslaughter, which is a Level 2 felony in Indiana. NoSirGifts banned Webb from any contact with Vote for the Girls for 10 shows also levied a fine of $300,000. She was also forbidden from doing any media interviews or making comments related to the team on social media during the suspension.

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

Many of the site's moderator or villains season broke records or made history for the show in a number of ways:

• Rachael Passalt became the fifteenth winning moderator on the site as Passalt became the winning moderator of the fourteenth season of SYTYCD upon the elimination of Kaylee Millis with a moderator victory.
• Lauren Herman became the sixteenth winning moderator (and the first female villain) to win as a female contestant (Darci Farmer) was declared the winner of the twelfth season of America's Got Talent. This marked the first time in the site's history a female villain has won.

Contestants

Supported Contestants who appeared in prior seasons or shows

Contestant	Prior Television show/Season	Prior Result	Notes	Prior VFTG season	Prior VFTG moderator	Television Show/Season	Moderator	Result
Lindsey Stirling	America's Got Talent 5	Eliminated in Quarter-Finals		01	Holly Everman	Dancing with the Stars 25	Ava Zinn	Runner-Up

Supported contestant changes

The following Vote for the Girls or Zinn's Villains picks were moved by way of flexible picking, Moderator Challenges, severe weather, or for other reasons:

• AGT 12:
  • Auditions
    • Angelica Hale, originally chosen by Ben & Sonia, was flexed to Clark Jones.
    • Evie Clair, originally chosen by Kent & Sal, was flexed to Diane Simon.
    • Kechi, originally chosen by Marla McClinton, was flexed to Lauren Rodriguez.
    • Junior & Emily, originally chosen by Thia & Natasha, was flexed to Kye Sanchez. The pick was later flexed back to Thia & Natasha upon Sanchez's moderator victory on Boy Band.
    • Just Jerk, originally chosen by Bria & Devin, was flexed to Raquel & Sheena.
    • Darci Farmer, originally chosen by Bria & Devin, was flexed to Lauren Herman.
    • In The Stairwell, originally chosen by Janet Webb, was flexed to Liza Black.
    • Celine Tam and Diavolo was flexed from Kye Sanchez to Thia & Natasha.
    • Artyan & Paige was flexed from Raquel & Sheena to Thia & Natasha.
    • Billy & Emily and Greater Works, originally chosen by Diane Simon, were both flexed to Jacqui Fountaine.

• SYTYCD 14:
  • Top 10
    • Kaylee Millis and Dassy Lee, originally chosen by Sophia & Maci, were both flexed to Ava Zinn.
  • Top 8
    • Koine Iwaski and Kaylee Millis, respectively chosen by Peta-Alyce & Nadia and flexed to Ava Zinn, were respectively flexed out to Phil Allen and Hunter Diaz for $100,000.
  • Top 7
    • Lex Ishimoto, Logan Hernandez, and Kiki Nyemcheck, respectively chosen by Kye Sanchez, Hunter Diaz, and Phil Allen were flexed to Rachael Passalt.
    • Koine Iwaski was flexed from Hunter Diaz to Rachael Passalt.
• The Voice 13:
  • Auditions
    • Chris Weaver was flexed from Phil Allen to Peta & Nadia
    • Mitchell Lee was flexed from Dan Doakes to Breeanna Sorensen
    • Janice Freeman was "cross-flexed" from Nadine Cole to Janet Webb
    • Dave Crosby was flexed from Mark Watts to Jenna Monroe
    • Esera Tuaolo was flexed from Luka & Lydia to Rachael Passalt
    • Keisha Renee, originally chosen by Jenny & Tulissa, was "cross-flexed" to Alexandra Moffitt
    • Maharasyi Hansa, originally chosen by Jenny & Tulissa, was "cross-flexed" to Sophia & Maci
    • Adam Cunningham was flexed from Ted Shields to Hannah & Kendra
    • Shilo Gold was "cross-flexed" from Jenny & Tulissa to Kylie Dwyar after a successful Moderators' Challenge resulting in the disqualification of Jenny & Tulissa prior to Addisongate.
    • Davon Fleming was flexed from Raquel & Sheena to Bria & Devin
    • Alexandra Joyce was flexed from Marti McDaniel to Steve Baker
    • Anna DeHart was flexed from Kathi & Karly to Ted Shields
    • Moriah Formica was "cross-flexed" from Peta & Nadia to Carrie Ewan
    • Karli Webster was "cross-flexed" from Jenny & Tulissa to Nadine Cole.
    • Emily Luther was "cross-flexed" from Jenny & Tulissa to Sophia & Maci
    • By way of trading and flex picking, the following supported contestants and flex picks were moved due to finale implications during the final week of the Blind Auditions:
      • Chloe Kohanski, originally chosen by Ava Zinn was "cross-flexed" to Alexandra Moffit after Zinn decided to make a trade with Moffitt and felt Kohanski would be better Vote for the Girls pick for Moffitt. Keisha Renee was then "cross-flexed" from Alexandra Moffitt to Ava Zinn, in exchange for the aforementioned Chloe Kohanski.
      • Whitney Fenimore (originally chosen by Kathi & Karly) and Meagan McNeal (originally chosen by Jacqui Fountaine) were "cross-flexed" to Fountaine and Kathi & Karly. Rebecca Brunner and Natalie Stovall were "cross-flexed" from Kathi & Karly to Andrea Coolranch and Alexandra Moffitt, respectively.
      • Ilianna Viramontes, originally chosen by Jenny & Tulissa prior to their disqulaification, was "cross-flexed" to Kent & Sal. Jon Mero was flexed from Clark Jones to Ben & Sonia.
  • Battles
    • Chris Weaver was "cross-flexed" from Nadia Lorenzo to Carrie Ewan due to Lorenzo mourning the death of her girlfriend, Peta-Alyce Kaizer.
    • Whitney Feinmore was "cross-flexed" to Jacqui Fountaine to Lauren Herman.
    • Dennis Drumond was flexed from Ted Shields to Jenna Monroe.
    • Shi'Ann Jones and Jon Mero were "cross-flexed" from Sonia Donbar to Jenna Monroe due to Donbar mourning the death of her husband, Benjamin.
• Dancing with the Stars 25
  • Frankie Muniz, originally chosen by Kent & Sal, was "cross-flexed" to Janet Webb following Kent & Sal's termination.