Emma Slater Admits She’s Grown Close to Someone From DWTS

Longtime “Dancing With the Stars” pro Emma Slater believes she’s found a life-long friend in season 32 partner, Mauricio Umansky.

“I really think that Mauricio is someone who’s going to be in my life forever,” Slater told Us Weekly. “We really do click. We sort of went through difficult times at the same time together and were each other’s confidants. It was a really nice season. Difficult for both of us, but we’re really, really grateful that we had each other,” she continued.

At the time of the competition, Umansky’s marriage was under scrutiny. He and his wife, Kyle Richards, had confirmed that they were taking some time apart to reevaluate things. Slater had also gone through a divorce, ending her marriage to ballroom pro Sasha Farber in February 2023.

“You get really close to your partners on the season. He’s such an amazing person. We have such a good friendship that it meant a lot that he was able to come to the tour and support as well,” she added.

Slater and Umansky finished the competition in 9th place.

Here’s what you need to know:

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Emma Slater & Mauricio Umansky Dating Rumors Circulated for Weeks

Slater and Umansky became very close while competing on “Dancing With the Stars.” It was clear very early on that their on-screen chemistry turned into an off-screen friendship. The more time the two spent together without the cameras rolling, however, the more some fans wondered if they were dating.

However, they were quick to debunk the rumors.

“We do want to address this story,” Umansky said on Instagram Stories in October 2023. “About whether or not Emma and I are dating. Whether we went out on a date. For full clarity, we are not dating. We are really good friends. We’ve been dancing together now for six weeks, four hours a day, every single day,” he continued.

“It’s a very intense week. A very emotional week. We were talking about the week during dinner and when we came out of dinner, we were recapping and I reached out to grab Emma’s hand and she grabbed my hand and then we walked to the cars, just recapping and summarizing. And then the paparazzi caught that moment. And it’s become a blown out moment,” he added.

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Emma Slater Is Also Close With Her Season 31 Partner, Trevor Donovan

In addition to her close friendship with Umansky, Slater also became good friends with her season 31 partner, Trevor Donovan.

After the season was over, Slater posted a lengthy message to Donovan on Instagram.

“Trevor you are seriously one of a kind and I’m so so glad our paths crossed. Really grateful that we were partnered together and I got to work with one of the most kind hearted, hardworking and willing humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” she captioned a post.

“It was totally meant to be this way, you were meant to do the show when you did it and we were meant to be partners so we could help each other grow and laugh and be joyful. That was my goal at the start of the season, to find joy. And you literally brought it to me everyday just by simply being you. Thank you so so much. We ROCKED THIS SEASON!!! Adore you, I hope you are so proud of yourself,” she added.

Although they may not talk every day, Donovan has proved that he has Slater’s back. When the dating rumors about her and Umansky hit a fever pitch, Donovan actually took to social media to defend Slater.

“Many don’t understand the intense pressures of #dwts, the exhaustive nature of the rehearsals, and the stress of the show night performance. Forming a deep bond and friendship with your partner is natural under such circumstances. Because of all this, Emma and I grew very close during our partnership, and we are still close today. I guess some will always see drama where there’s none,” he wrote on X.

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