Emma Slater ABC/Andrew Eccles
There is not a dry eye in this house. Emma SlaterWept while watching her estranged husband. Sasha Farber‘s first Dancing With the StarsPerformance with partner Selma Blair.
“[My face]She was flooded with tears. It’s just something that is so indescribable,” the ballroom pro, 33, told reporters after the season 31 premiere of DWTSMonday, September 19. “To look At her and to say she’s an inspiration is an understatement. She is just magical to me.”
Slater stated that the aforementioned are not the only ones who are able to provide this information. Cruel Intentions star, 51, “performing on Dancing With the Stars [while]Fighting with [multiple sclerosis], she also looks absolutely stunning while she’s doing it.”
Selma Blair, Sasha Farber ABC/Eric McCandless
She continued: “Look, she’s actually living out her fear. It took courage, I’m sure. I can’t even imagine what a true inspiration she is to a lot of people. … I feel blessed that she’s on the show.”
The England native’s season 31 partner, Trevor Donovan, agreed with her, describing the performance as “emotional” and “incredible.”
Blair and Farber, 38, brought the house down during the premiere with a touching Viennese waltz in which the actress — who shared her MS diagnosis in October 2018 — threw away her cane. “It means everything,” she told Entertainment TonightThe symbolic moment. “I am a vulnerable person now out here, you know, with some differences I have or weakness. I really never thought I would be able to dance, like, with both my feet.”
The Legally Blonde star continued: “[It]It’s so important to be able rely on someone for my balance. … It’s such a joy and I hope that we can all see that we can do things out of our comfort zone and it might not look like everybody else, but it’s still an incredible feeling.”
Slater’s praise for Farber’s performance comes almost one month after Us WeeklyThe source confirmed that the couple had split up after four years of marriage. “They’ve been apart for many months now,” a source told UseThey were both at the same time. “They both have not been wearing their wedding rings and are each leading a single life.”
The insider added that while it was a “tough decision” for the former couple to make, they still have a lot of affection for each other. “It’s been a difficult time since they really care about each other and have been together for so long.”
Selma Blair and Sasha Farber ABC/Eric McCandless
The source also noted that the duo doesn’t want their breakup to affect their performances on the reality competition show. “[They will] continue to work together as professional dancers” as they did during their brief split in 2014, the insider said. “They’re pros and won’t let their personal life get in the way of DWTS.”
The exes were seen together for the first-time since their split on Thursday, September 15. Slater and Farber were photographed leaving. DWTSBlair was smiling and chatting with the audience as they walked along the street in rehearsals. They seemed to be in good spirits as the trio hung out before the premiere of the season.
Dancing With the Stars Airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Disney+ ET.
