Heavy/ABC Mauricio Umansky and Emma Slater get critiqued by the "Dancing With the Stars" judges.
Emma Slater had a bone to pick with the “Dancing With the Stars” judges following her Week 3 dance with Mauricio Umansky.
During and after the October 10, 2023 episode of the celebrity ballroom competition, the pro dancer said she was confused by the scores the duo received after they danced a Motown Night foxtrot.
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hogh, Bruno Tonioli, and guest judge Michael Strahan gave the couple scores of 7, 5, 6, and 5, respectively.
In two Instagram Live videos, Slater told fans he felt Umansky was underscored, while he blamed a previous week’s mishap on a reality TV trailer.
Here’s what you need to know:
Emma Slater Said She Was Disheartened by the Judges’ Scores
Slater addressed fans as she walked out by her trailer following the dance. In an Instagram Live reshared on Reddit, she said she felt “a little disheartened” over the scoring because Umansky pulled off what she felt was a very good foxtrot.
“I feel a little disheartened because as much as I respect the whole scoring, I respect it very much… he didn’t do a step wrong in that foxtrot,” she said. “ I was super confused by it I was so confused, he really performed that so well his frame was amazing. It’s really confusing when we get fives. That’s the lowest score that’s been given [so far] tonight. Mauricio did a really good foxtrot and I don’t think he deserved it.”
In a post-dance Instagram Live shot backstage, Slater praised Umansky for his dance, then questioned the judges again.
“First of all, you crushed it, you absolutely crushed it,” she told the Bravo star. “I want you to listen to Carrie Ann and not Derek and Michael because you had the most amazing comeback. You really can dance. That’s what Carrie Ann said. It was by far the best you’ve done.”
“We’re a little confused about the scores,” Slater added, “We had some fives in there. Guys, I’m a professional dancer, I’ve been on the show a long time. I was super confused. So is everybody here, that’s kind of the vibe, It’s weird. We respect and love the judges but…I don’t know why they were hard on you today.”
Umansky agreed, “I was good today, I deserved a little bit of a break.”
Mauricio Umansky Blamed the Previous Week’s Mishap on the Release of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Trailer
Umanksy’s dance the prior week didn’t go as well. During Latin Night, he stumbled during his salsa with Slater and received a score of fours across the board. When rehearsing for Motown Night, he told Slater that the release of the explosive “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” season 13 trailer that same day messed with his head. Much of the “first look” trailer focused on Umansky’s marital issues with Kyle Richards, and her close friendship with singer Morgan Wade. There was also a snippet in Umansky alluded to tabloid stories about infidelity in their 27-year marriage.
Umansky told E! News he had no interest in watching the trailer. “I don’t want to watch it because the reality is that Kyle and I know where we stand today, we know where we are,” he explained.
He also said that from what he knew about the trailer, it was “over-dramatized.”
“It has to be in order to be entertaining and to capture people’s attention for television and all that stuff,” he said. “So, it’s almost over-dramatized for me, and so therefore I don’t want to watch it because it’s just going to put me in a place where I don’t want to be. I don’t want to see you know an overdramatization of my own life. I already know what my life is all about.”
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