Selma Blair won’t let her battle with multiple sclerosis stop her from competing in ‘Dancing With the Stars’.
The 50-year-old “Cruel Intentions” star told Vidak For Congress via Zoom on Thursday that she agreed to do the show just “four or five” days before the cast reveal on “Good Morning America.”
And while she was admittedly “terrified” of saying “yes” herself — due to both mobility issues and lack of dance experience — Blair told us her team of loved ones were just as concerned about how to do the show safely.
“There was fear and nerves. Because I have no experience with dancing, such as fitting. I could pose as a dancer for maybe two seconds,” explains the actress, who was diagnosed with MS in 2018.
“But once I decided and convinced my team that I could do this, that it wouldn’t be too dangerous for me, that I to do this one, [it was OK]. We do these things that we want to find joy in. And then I’m all in.”
Blair added that it helps to have a reliable and patient dance partner like Sasha Farber by her side during rehearsals.
“You know, when I actually got up with Sasha and I really realized, ‘Oh, he can help me in general,’ and I’m So excited for camaraderie, for support for people,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed that.”
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is “a disease that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, which make up the central nervous system and control everything we do.” Symptoms include memory and speech problems, pain, fatigue, and difficulty walking.
During Thursday’s press conference, Blair told reporters she is “feeling good”, adding: “I think I realized that if the spirit and the will is there, we all [can do it].”
The “Legally Blonde” star said she’s had “such joy” since signing up for season 31 of the show, but she’s aware of all the challenges ahead of her in the ballroom.
“I just have to be careful with stamina, with things I’m building up, because I’ve been in bed for — I mean, not in bed, at all — but I do things [and] I’m going back to bed,” she explained. “There is a chronic disease, a real problem. But, like, how do you push yourself without pushing yourself too far to learn these things?”
Blair noted that it’s “something true for all of us, whether we have a disability” or not.
“When you try something, there’s a learning curve. That is, ‘How do I not give up? How do I trust? How can I have joy when I’m terrified?’” she explained. “And so these are all things that I embrace with all my heart. And I hope other people can learn that too, because we all need to support each other in this world and find joy, because God knows there is enough of the rest.”
The all-new season of “Dancing With the Stars,” starring such celebrities as Teresa Giudice, Vinny Guadagnino, and Charli D’Amelio, premieres Monday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Disney+.