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"Long before [Dancing with the Stars] I knew you were a ten, and now the world knows"
Sarah Michelle Gellar is gushing with pride on behalf of her longtime friend Selma Blair.
After the 50-year-old "Dancing with the Stars" contestant announced her surprise exit from the competitive reality show, the "Cruel Intentions" star reflected on her friend's inspiring run.
"Long before @dancingwiththestars I knew you were a ten, and now the world knows," Gellar captioned a photo of the pair. "Selma I've never been so proud of you (and I'm often proud of you) You make the rest of us believe that we can do anything. That we can never give up."
The actress concluded her tribute to Blair by thanking her dance partner Sasha Farber and wrote, "I will miss getting to watch the happiness radiate from Selma each week as she stepped on stage with you."
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"Thank you for that gift. And speaking of gifts- @selmablair your love and friendship is the greatest gift. I love you Blair," she added.
Blair, who's been scoring consistently this season of DWTS, has been open about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis -- a disease that affects her balance and motor skills -- throughout her run and announced that she would be leaving the competition to prioritize her body on Monday.
"You know I've been monitored and in touch with my doctors this whole process," she told Farber in a pre-taped video. "I had these MRIs and when the results came back, it just all adds up to I can't. I can't. I can't go on with the competition. I pushed as far as I could."
Gellar has been a long supporter of Blair's stint on the show, back in September the actress was moved to tears watching her friend hit the splits in an acrobatic display for the series' Elvis week.
.@SelmaBlair & @SashaFarber gave us a memorable night with a beautiful final performance. Thank you Selma for inspiring us with your perseverance and radiant energy. ❤️ #DWTS #MostMemorableYear @DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/fZdENZ9zpS
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) October 18, 2022 @officialdwts
Fans would never know Selma frequently uses a cane after she gave it her all in a dance routine that was highly energetic and featured leg kicks and difficult maneuvers.
Gellar could be seen in the crowd fighting back emotions as she proudly watched her friend nail her performance knowing how far she's come.
"There's no other way to say it except you make it look so much easier than it must be for you," said DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba. "That is such an amazing feat."
"It's been amazing," Blair gushed about her ability to dance. "I haven't been able to invert for years. I used to be a gymnast when I was little… little little, 50 years ago! It was amazing to at least start to really play and just really have the best time. I just loved it."
