Selma Blair departs ‘Dancing with the Stars’ over health concerns related to MS

By Megan Thomas, CNN

Selma Blair will not continue competing on this season of “Dancing with the Stars” due to health concerns, the actress said Monday night.

Blair, who first shared she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, has competed strongly on the series over the past five weeks. Her body, however, “has taken a hit,” she said.

“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 in a taped piece that aired Monday night.

“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,” the actress continued.

Blair completed a final Waltz dance with Farber to “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”

“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,” Blair said.

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, who co-starred with Blair in the movie “Cruel Intentions,” shared a photo of her and Blair on her Instagram account after the announcement, captioning it with a heartfelt message expressing gratitude and appreciation for their friendship.

“Selma I’ve never been so proud of you (and I’m often proud of you) You make the rest of us believe that we can do anything. That we can never give up,” Gellar wrote. “I will miss getting to watch the happiness radiate from Selma each week as she stepped on stage.”

Multiple sclerosis, known as MS, is an autoimmune disease that impacts the brain and spinal cord that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its exact cause is unknown.

Blair shared her experience with the illness in the documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair,” which premiered in select theaters over the weekend. The film shows the actress undergoing stem-cell treatment, including chemotherapy, revealing the toll the treatment has had on Blair’s body.

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CNN’s Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.