A ballroom shocker. Selma Blair‘s early exit from Dancing With the StarsThe cast was stunned.
Emma SlaterBlair announced that she was leaving Disney+ due to health concerns on Monday, October 17. Blair hugged her first and most enthusiastically hugged her.
“We found out today, and so it was super emotional,” Slater, 33, told Us WeeklyAfter the live show. “What really got me was hearing Selma talk about her journey and how hard it was for her to pull out and … just how powerful she is. She really is a light to everybody.”
Blair has suffered from multiple sclerosis since 2017. During Monday’s episode of DWTSShe explained that her doctors had been closely monitoring her throughout the competition, and that recent tests revealed that her body was experiencing significant stress. “It just all adds up to … I can’t go on with the competition,” she said, before adding that she wanted to have “one last gentle dance” with partner Sasha Farber.
Derek HoughThe praised Cruel IntentionsFor her short journey on the series, actress “She was the story of Dancing With the Stars season 31, and she still is,” the judge, 37, told UsMonday. “What she achieved in the show was nothing less than a miracle and just so sensational.”
Hough said Blair’s attitude made her a joy to be around, both on and off camera. “For me, that means a lot to me, the way people treat others,” the Nashville alum told Use. “She’s a class act, and this was one of the most beautiful send-offs of Dancing With the Stars history, to see that raw emotion.”
The long-term DWTS personality celebrated Blair’s “gorgeous” waltz and lamented how she showed such promise — and even declared that he will make every effort to make sure Blair returns for the season 31 finale.
“She definitely had a lot more left, for sure, if she was able to. But I think this is the right choice, without a doubt, and I have no doubt that we haven’t seen the last of her,” Hough teased. “I saw her and I was like, ‘Listen, we’re doing something. We’re doing something in the finale. Don’t care. We’re gonna do something cool. I got already got some choreography playing on the table and we’re gonna do some fun stuff.’ I was already pitching her ideas.”
The six-time mirrorball champ added that he wanted “to give her something to look forward to” amid the sadness of her untimely exit.
Dancing With the StarsAirs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Disney+ ET. Scroll down to see how Blair’s DWTS costars reacted to her departure right after Monday’s episode:
