Yes -- gulp -- Cristian's gone, or that's the word from none other than the esteemed TMZ, which actually gets stuff like this right (on occasion). Here's the TMZ report, reduced to haiku: "... suffered a really gnarly injury ... surgery is now a real option ... see a specialist this morning."
A blow to the show, if true (boo-hoo)? Sure. The guy's got personality and hips. Plus, Cheryl Burke is my favorite pro, so that'd be a blow to ME. And while we can all agree Kristi "The Terminator" Yamaguchi could samba circles around Cris (in her sleep), there's no way a woman's ever gonna win this show again.
I can't recall an instance when a competitor actually pulled out because of an injury, although Vinny "Big Pussy" Pastore pulled out before the whole thing got under way; that was somewhat different: He was too fat.
Meanwhile, serious and maybe tragic news: Gary Dourdan, again per TMZ -- which definitely didn't get this wrong -- was busted last night in Palm Springs, Calif., for possession of heroin and an assortment of other pharmaceuticals. As you know, he's already announced plans to leave "CSI" -- though for reasons unknown. TMZ doesn't have much more, but the picture of Dourdan is certainly harrowing.