Selma Blair’s Powerful Cane-less ‘DWTS’ Performance Moved Fans to Tears

• Selma Blair brought fans to tears with her debut Dancing With the Stars performance.

• The 50-year-old ditched her cane on stage as partner Sasha Farber effortlessly guided her across the floor in a Viennese waltz.

• Blair is proud of herself for trying new things four years after her MS diagnosis. “I hope that we can all see that we can do things out of our comfort zone and it might not look like everybody else, but it’s still an incredible feeling,” she said.

After much preparation, last night, Selma Blair made a Dancing With the Stars debut that brought fans and judges to tears. In a powerful opening moment, the 50-year-old—who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2019—ditched her cane to lean on partner Sasha Farber, and together, they danced the Viennese waltz to David Cook’s poignant track, “Time of My Life.”

The song itself is enough to make any crier’s eyes well up, but it was Blair’s confidence, and the ease with which she faced her fears, that touched viewers the most. The performance especially impacted judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who also struggles with chronic illness in the form of Sjögren’s syndrome, fibromyalgia, and lupus.

“I’m just so touched as somebody who is from the invisible illness community,” Inaba told Blair through tears. “Seeing you come out here with your circumstances and just making everyone aware that you are fully able to do and achieve anything you put your mind to.”

Fans at home shared a similar sentiment. “Crown Selma Blair now. Ugly cried through that entire dance,” one viewer tweeted. “I almost cried seeing Selma Blair dance! It was so inspirational… especially for others who have MS or any other invisible illness! It truly touched my heart!!!!” another wrote. “Just sobbed my eyes out even more watching Selma’s dance with Sasha especially the way he guided her in every single step,” another added.

Being without her cane was the main insecurity Blair had going into the competition. “I am really nervous if I lose my partner’s touch,” she explained. “I am used to having a counterbalance of my dog or a cane, or at home my abilities are much more seamless than out and about,” she told Good Morning America last week. But, with the help of Farber, she did just fine, earning third place for the night with a total of 28 points.

To say she’s proud of herself would be an understatement. “I am a vulnerable person now out here, you know, with some differences I have or weakness. I really never thought I would be able to dance, like, with both my feet,” she told Entertainment Tonight after the show. “It’s such a joy and I hope that we can all see that we can do things out of our comfort zone and it might not look like everybody else, but it’s still an incredible feeling.”

Dancing With the Stars streams on Disney+ every Monday at 8 p.m. EST. Tune in next week to help us cheer Selma on!

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