Mauricio Umansky and Dancing With the Stars pro Emma Slater are insisting they are are nothing more than “really good friends” — despite his estranged wife, Kyle Richards, implying otherwise.
“For full clarity we are not dating,” Umansky, 53, shared in an Instagram Story video on Thursday, October 26. “We’ve been dancing together now for six weeks, four hours a day every single day.”
Slater, 34, chimed in to call the DWTS process “intense,” adding that a “very special bond” is formed between the celebrity and their professional dance partner.
“We [share] similar personalities,” she added. “We’ve got a super supportive relationship. Last week was extremely emotional, so super supportive relationship. We’re definitely there for each other and it’s beautiful. That’s a great thing.”
Romance rumors between Umansky and Slater started swirling after they were photographed holding hands while out in Beverly Hills on Sunday, October 22, per photos obtained by TMZ.
“Just to clarify, we went to a restaurant to go get some sushi right after rehearsal,” Umansky continued in Thursday’s video. “It’s a very intense week, a very emotional week. We were talking about the week during the dinner and when we came out of dinner we were recapping, and I reached out to grab Emma’s hand. She grabbed my hand and then we walked to the cars, just recapping.”
Slater interjected, “And then, all of a sudden we’re dating.”
Us Weekly confirmed in July that he and wife Richards, 54, had separated after 27 years of marriage. The duo shared a joint statement that same month sharing that they have no plans to divorce just yet.
“We have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage,” they said, in part, at the time. “But we both love and respect each other tremendously. There has been no wrongdoing on anyone’s part.”
Following the hand holding photos, Richards deleted an Instagram post from September that showed support for Umanksy and Slater’s DWTS run. They share daughters Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15. Richards shares daughter Farrah, 34, with first husband Guraish Aldjufrie.
While Umansky dedicated his dance to Richards and their daughters on Tuesday, Richards wasn’t impressed by the kind words, telling Andy Cohen that she was “hurt” by the images of Umansky and Slater.
“I don’t know if anything’s happened yet, but obviously there’s something there,” she said during the Wednesday, October 25, episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. “Listen, I love him very much and we are amicable.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star went on to say that she was “taken aback” by the hand holding photos.
“That was very hard to see,” she added. “That hurt my feelings. … I just don’t think you hold hands like that with somebody.”
