Mauricio Umansky and Emma Slater Deliver an Astonishingly 'Beautiful' Performance on 'Dancing With the Stars'

Mauricio Umansky and Emma Slater. ABC/Lou Rocco

Carrie Ann Inaba, a judge on Dancing With the Stars, commended Mauricio Umansky and his partner Emma Slater for their impressive performance, just days after they were spotted holding hands.

"That was a beautiful routine, Mauricio. When you pretend to dance contemporary, we can feel the emotion, and it gives me goosebumps," Inaba, who is 55 years old, commented during the episode on Tuesday, October 24th. "This routine was the complete opposite of giving me goosebumps. There is something incredibly special happening between the two of you, and we are grateful to witness it."

Umansky, aged 53, and Slater, aged 34, executed a contemporary routine set to Andra Day's "Rise Up" on the Most Memorable Year Night episode of ABC's series. Their performance garnered a cumulative score of 24 points. Meanwhile, as they awaited their score, Umansky took the opportunity to applaud Slater's exceptional choreography skills.

"It's truly incredible. The dance was absolutely stunning. Emma did an extraordinary job choreographing it," he commended to cohost Julianne Hough. "This past week has been incredibly emotional, and it was quite challenging for me to tap into those feelings."

Umansky considered 1996 to be his most unforgettable year, describing it as a transformative period for both him and his wife, Kyle Richards. They had recently gotten married and were taking care of their daughters, Farrah (from Richards' previous marriage to Guraish Aldjufrie) and Alexia, when Umansky was unexpectedly let go from his job.

“I felt like a complete failure as a person,” Umansky admitted to Slater prior to the performance. “When I walked into the house, and I saw Kyle, tears started flowing. She said to me, ‘You always wanted to work in real estate, let's view this as an opportunity for change.’ Ultimately, it turned out to be the most incredible experience I've ever had.”

During rehearsal, Slater expressed her admiration for the heartfelt story, saying, "That's incredibly beautiful."

Just hours before Tuesday's episode, Umansky dedicated the dance to Richards, 54, referring to her as his "rock" in an Instagram post. He wrote, "Tonight's dance on @dancingwiththestars is a reflection of life's imperfections. Even in our lowest moments, when it seems impossible to overcome obstacles and all doors appear closed, we must rise unafraid and conquer mountains."

In September, Richards had expressed her support for her husband on Instagram. However, she later deleted the post following a photograph that emerged of Umansky and Slater holding hands, taken after they had dinner together in Beverly Hills on October 22. This outing raised concerns regarding Umansky's ongoing marital problems with Richards, as the couple had announced their separation in July after being married for 27 years.

Umansky and Slater have teamed up for season 32 of the popular reality competition series on ABC. Before the September premiere, Umansky expressed his excitement about working with Slater and praised her for being an experienced and highly skilled dancer. He emphasized their shared determination to excel in the competition and their belief that they would create a truly remarkable partnership.

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Following a forgetful moment during his routine on Latin Night, the couple narrowly avoided elimination. The dancer subsequently attributed his October 3 mishap to the ongoing drama between him and Richards, 54, as portrayed on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

“I was preparing for the dance, when the trailer for the latest season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which focuses on my marriage, was released. My children were present in the audience of Dancing With the Stars, but I didn't discuss it with them," he shared with Slater in the October 10 episode.

Eight weeks prior to Umansky's inclusion in DWTS, he and Richards had already confronted rumors suggesting that their relationship had ended.

“We’ve had a challenging year, the toughest in our marriage,” they wrote on Instagram in July. “However, our love and respect for each other are unwavering. There has been no wrongdoing from either of us. Despite being in the public eye, we kindly request the privacy to work on our issues in private.”

Umansky later asserted that he and Richards, who have three daughters together (Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15), were still committed to working on their marriage. “Kyle and I are human beings. We experience emotions, we have feelings, and we're going through a difficult period. Currently, we are separated,” he revealed to TMZ in September. “Divorce is not on the table for discussion. We're focusing on dealing with our challenges internally and privately.”

Despite rumors linking her to country singer Morgan Wade, Richards denied any involvement with him in July amidst her separation. In April 2022, Slater separated from her fellow Dancing With the Stars pro Sasha Farber and officially filed for divorce in February. However, the two have managed to maintain a professional working relationship post-split.

Slater expressed to E! News in October that it is far from a nightmare. He expressed his strong support for Sasha and his desire for the best for him. Slater also mentioned his love for Sasha and Alyson Hannigan's on-screen chemistry. The show, Dancing With the Stars, can be watched on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.