“Dancing With the Stars” partners Mauricio Umansky and Emma Slater addressed photos that surfaced of them holding hands after his estranged wife, Kyle Richards, admitted she was “hurt” by them.
“We do want to address this story, this whole thing, going out and about whether or not Emma and I are dating — whether we went out on a date. For full clarity, we are not dating,” Umansky said in a selfie video alongside Slater in an Instagram Story on Thursday.
Umansky explained that they have just become “really good friends” since he became her “DWTS” partner and have been “dancing together now for six weeks for four hours a day, every single day.”
Slater agreed with Umansky, adding that it’s an “intense” process and she often forms a “special bond” with her celebrity partners — especially with Umansky because of their “similar personalities.”
“Last week was extremely emotional, so super emotional, so super supportive relationship, we’re definitely there for each other and it’s beautiful. That’s a great thing,” Slater, 34, added.
Umansky, 53, directly addressed the photos, claiming that they went to grab sushi after rehearsal and were discussing the “very intense” and “very emotional” week before they were photographed leaving hand-in-hand.
“When we came out of dinner, we were recapping and I reached out to grab Emma’s hand, and she grabbed my hand, and we, you know, walked to the cars just recapping and summarizing and then the paparazzi caught that moment. It’s become a blown-out moment,” he continued.
Slater laughed and jokingly added, “All of the sudden, we’re dating!”
Umansky ended the video by thanking people for voting for him and assured fans they’re going to “keep on dancing” and “keep having fun.”
The Agency founder and Slater posted the clarification just one day after his estranged wife spoke out about the shots — and also deleted her past social media posts supporting the dancing duo.
“That’s very hard to see … that hurt my feelings,” Richards, 54, admitted during “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” on Wednesday.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star explained that while she doesn’t know if anything has happened, she doesn’t “think you hold hands like that” if there isn’t something romantic going on.
“I don’t know if anything has happened yet, but obviously, there is something there,” she shared.
Richards added that she still voted for her ex on Tuesday night and still loves him “very much.”
Umansky and Slater turned heads on Sunday when they were spotted getting flirty on a three-hour sushi date in Los Angeles. They were then photographed holding hands while leaving together.
Umansky and Richards were married for 27 years before Pvnew confirmed they were separated in July.
Each of them went back and forth on their marital status for months before verifying they were separated in September.
The “Halloween Kills” actress also revealed on Wednesday’s “WWHL” episode that they still live together but sleep in different rooms.
Their marital woes have already begun playing out on the new season of “RHOBH.” On Wednesday’s Season 13 premiere, the duo got into a heated discussion over her newfound love for tattoos.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo, while “Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
