Kim Zolciak speaks out after DWTS emilination

NEW YORK (WPVI) -- Reality TV star Kim Zolciak is speaking out for the very first time after her medical emergency took her out of the running on Dancing with the Stars.

It was a one-two punch for the former Real Housewife of Atlanta.

First, she suffered a mini stroke at her Georgia home, days after returning from the live show in Los Angeles. Then, she was forced to withdraw from the show.

Zolciak was panned by the judges for her dance the first week. She was told she was too stiff and too scared.

Week two, she came back with a vengeance and proved she was in in it to win it.

Then, disaster struck, and Zolciak wasn't allowed to travel back to Los Angeles to dance.

She spoke about the experience this morning on Good Morning America.

"It was a blessing in disguise. The minor TIA revealed that I have a PFO, which is like a hole in your heart that I was born with that never closed," she said.

When asked about speculation that she was faking her injury, she shook her head.

"Who fakes it?" she said. "I just think it's sick that someone would ever think that. And some of the people that have said that, it shows me their mentality. I don't think that many people would fake a stroke."

Fans rallied to get Kim back on the show. They even circulated on online petition, getting more than 25,000 signatures.

Kim sent in a video of her dancing, in hopes of getting scored without flying to Los Angeles.

She said the show's lawyers made the final decision to cut her.