The actress' 'DWTS' competitors are heartbroken over her sudden departure from the show.
Selma Blair's Dancing With the Stars family is heartbroken. Blair's inspiring journey in the ballroom has come to an abrupt end after MRI results revealed that she could no longer continue due to her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis.
"So, I've been monitored... I had MRIs and the results came back, and it all adds up to, I can't go on with the competition," Blair revealed to her dance partner, Sasha Farber, on Monday night's Disney+ broadcast. "I've pushed as far as I could. With a chronic illness, you do have special considerations, and my body has taken a hit. It's way too much for the safety of my bones. I could do extensive damage that I, of course, do not want."
Blair still was committed to doing one last dance with Farber, a Waltz set to "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by Andra Day.
"I really want to have one last beautiful dance with you, and bow out," she continued. "So, this is a dance for everyone that has tried and hoped they could do more, but also, the power in realizing it's time to walk away. I am so, so grateful to be able to do one last gentle dance."
ET's Denny Directo was with Blair and her DWTS competitors backstage after the emotional episode.
"Whatever pain Selma's going through, she's just become adept at being this stoic trooper and smiling through it," Wayne Brady marveled to ET, saying his immediate response to her announcement was pure "shock."
"When we actually heard about it, it was devastating," he continued. "I mean, it was devastating to not be able to do what you love because your body won't let you. That is such a terrible feeling, like I can only imagine what she would be feeling right now."
Daniel Durant added, "She's just a cool human. From the beginning, she's always so happy to see everyone and she's so friendly, her vibes are so beautiful. She's always positive, so I applaud her."
He continued, "She's admirable because if someone has MS or anything you have, any struggle with your body, she's letting them know just to keep going and keep dancing and having fun and doing your thing with your life. She's really an inspirational person and I'm gonna miss Selma."
Britt Stewart praised Blair's "beautiful and graceful" swan song performance.
"Selma is such a big part of the family, you know. She means so much to all of us this season, she is so motivational, so inspirational and what she's doing for the entire MS community is absolutely amazing," she said. "I think everyone can attest to how physically difficult this competition is, but for her it has to be that much more."
Vinny Guadagnino also remarked on the physical demands of the competition, while partner Koko Iwasaki marveled at Blair's radiance.
"We're all taking a toll on our bodies," Guadagnino said. "I can't imagine, to make it as far as she did and just, like, kill it, you know what I mean? The dances -- she's amazing."
"Insane," Iwasaki agreed. "Every single person, the cast the crew -- everyone loves her. She is a beam of light and so positive, so kind, the biggest heart, looks out for all of us and it's like, selfishly we don't wanna see her go because we adore her."
Alan Bersten said he "couldn't stop crying," pulling even more waterworks from partner Jessie James Decker.
"I was crying, I looked over and he was crying hard, which made me cry harder," she recalled.
"I'm telling you, she's kind to everyone," Decker said of Blair. "I'm so grateful I got to even meet her and spend time with her. She is what you see and she's just an inspiration. [I] was just sad that we don't get to be around her every day."
Bersten added, "She's gone through so much and yet she exudes positivity and I'm an empath -- I see that -- and even though she's struggling and going through so much, she's still here and living her best life. That's something that's so much more meaningful than a dance."
"It puts everything into perspective," Decker interjects. "What a strong woman, what a strong person she is, and it just makes you feel like, I don't know, you just get the emotions 'cause you're like, 'Look at this incredible person and her son.'"
Blair herself couldn't hold back the tears while speaking with ET.
"That's why I cry, I mean, I'm not crying about mirrorball. I have so much better than a mirrorball here," the actress said through her tears. "I'm crying because I will truly miss this. I will miss loving them. I love these dancers. I love these celebrities. I love Sasha. I love our rehearsal room."
She continued, "It's a lot of love, and to walk away, and to have to let the love continue without you, it's like, 'Ugh.'"
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