Sarah Michelle Gellar shares emotional tribute to Selma Blair after Dancing With the Stars exit

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Sarah Michelle Gellar lifted up her Cruel Intentions costar Selma Blair after the actress' health prompted her to step down from the ongoing season of Dancing With the Stars.

"Long before [Dancing With the Stars], I knew you were a ten, and now the world knows. Selma I've never been so proud of you (and I'm often proud of you)," Gellar shared Monday night on Instagram, shortly after Blair announced her withdrawal from the Disney+ competition as a result of complications from her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis. "You make the rest of us believe that we can do anything. That we can never give up."

She also thanked Blair's dance partner, Sasha Farber, for his work with Blair, and credited him with making "happiness radiate from Selma each week as she stepped on stage" with the dance pro.

"Thank you for that gift," she continued. "And speaking of gifts [Selma] your love and friendship is the greatest gift. I love you Blair."

Blair responded to Gellar's post by calling Gellar her "heart and soul of all great things," and thanked her friend for showing up for her throughout her MS journey.

"The way this [Dancing With the Stars] experience with [Sasha Farber] and all of the cast…. Has rallied with true grit and JOY and determination has inspired me more than I can process," Blair commented underneath Gellar's message. "I have been so fortunate to be loved by you. And now I have had the extreme elation and grace of dancing on a ballroom floor, and being lifted and carried by my loves. And the public. It is a gift I will cherish forever. I love you so dearly. Thank you for being by my side on another journey. Here's to many more. I love you. Thank you."

Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar attend the 26th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 10, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.
Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar attend the 26th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 10, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Blair's run on Dancing With the Stars ended on Monday night after her doctor told her that filming the series was putting unnecessary stress on her body.

"I had these MRIs and the results came back and it just all adds up to I can't go on with the competition," she told Farber in footage from their rehearsal package, later adding in the post-show press room that her medical team advised her to rehearse in a pool to reduce stress on her joints. "With a chronic illness, you do need special considerations. My body is taking a hit. It's way too much for my bones. There's just way too much bone trauma and inflammation... that I do not want."

Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, and has openly discussed her sustained treatment for the condition. She wowed the judges and audiences at home during her five-week run on Dancing With the Stars, moving the ballroom to tears and earning perfect 10 scores across the board with her final waltz on Monday night's live broadcast.

The 50-year-old has continued to act through her MS battle, most notably in two seasons of the Netflix drama Another Life, which ended in 2021. She also chronicled her treatment in the documentary feature Introducing, Selma Blair.

Dancing With the Stars continues tonight on Disney+.

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