Heavy/Getty/ABC Louis van Amstel is having trouble with his son.
OG “Dancing With the Stars” pro Louis van Amstel has been having a very tough year.
In October 2023, the ballroom dancer revealed that he and his husband Josh Lancaster have officially divorced. Then, on the November 13, 2023, episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, van Amstel shared that he’s having a really hard time with one of his kids.
“I am came back to quite a lot of family matters that I don’t really want to talk about because I want to keep it dry. It really is bad,” van Amstel told Burke at the beginning of the podcast. Later on, he opened up a bit more.
“If you’re in a bad place, your patience is gone, your little window of tolerance gets smaller. Now you start raising your voice, then who knows? Cussing,” he said. “And, since I have my son doing that, I want to make sure that I stay calm,” he continued.
Van Amstel and Lancaster adopted two sons, Daniel in 2019 and Jonny in 2020, both of whom are now teenagers.
Here’s what you need to know:
Louis van Amstel’s Youngest Son Has Been Acting Out
Toward the end of the podcast, van Amstel dove a little deeper.
“I have a child that I’m working with right now that is really on the wrong path. And it takes everything — ever molecule inside of me. But, luckily, that I am taking the time for me… sounds selfish, but I do that for me so that I can be that stronger person and stay calm,” he explained.
When Burke asked van Amstel how he manages to stay level-headed in those tense situations, he said that it’s “as simple as breathing.” He said that he will pause, take a breath, and it causes him to relax.
“Walk away. Take a deep breath. And come back to the conversation,” he added. He went on to say that these methods have “really helped” when his son “cusses at” him.
Van Amstel, 51, is one of the original DWTS pros. He did not compete on season 32 of the show and suggested it’s because of what’s been going on with his family.
Louis van Amstel Said His Son Is Having a Hard Time With the Divorce
When it came time to start a family, Van Amstel and Lancaster made the decision to adopt older kids.
“Everyone wants [to adopt] the babies but we didn’t. My love language is traveling. With a baby, for the first three years, forget any traveling! Jonny had never seen an ocean in his life. For a family like ours that loves to travel and has been all over the world, I want my kids to have that experience,” van Amstel previously told People magazine.
Since welcoming the two boys, van Amstel has often shared various updates on the kids on his Instagram account — mostly posting the good and sometimes the bad.
In a post shared on October 16, 2023, van Amstel said that his younger son was having a really hard time with the split.
“I am divorced officially. We’re doing good. We’re working through this all. You know when your loved ones, the younger ones, my son is not doing well, it affects everyone. We’re getting through this. But it’s not easy,” he said.
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