DWTS' Emma Slater Says Mauricio Umansky Drama Was 'Horrible,' Insists He'll Be In Her Life 'Forever' (Exclusive)

While attending the Race to Erase MS Gala at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles over the weekend, Slater opened up exclusively to TooFab about how she felt being at the center of countless headlines amid Umansky's split from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Kyle Richards.

"It felt horrible. Honestly, if you tell someone you're going to be in the headlines and you're going to have speculation about your love life and this that and the other ... it's not a great feeling, it's definitely not where I want to be," she began.

"I love dancing, I love being part of the show. The headlines are really difficult to deal with. It's all love it's all friendship it's all beautiful things," Slater added. "I want to just be positive and be happy to do me and it can be really, really difficult.

In October, 2023 Slater and her 53-year-old celebrity dance partner, Umansky were spotted off the dance floor holding hands, sparking romance rumors. At the time, Richards was asked by Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live her thoughts on the photos.

"I was, um -- I was taken aback," she said. When he asked if she was upset, she said, "Yes, that was very hard to see. That was -- I mean, yes, that hurt my feeling" -- before adding that she believed "obviously there's something there" between the pair. At the time, the two were adamant they were just friends.

When Slater was asked at the Gala if she was still friends Umansky now, she insisted that they were.

"Oh yeah, absolutely," she said. "He's an amazing person. I think he'll be in my life forever, you know? I would never want to not speak to him because we really are such good friends," Slater added.

Slater has been a part of the competition series for 10 years now and says one of the things she loves about being on Dancing with the Stars is that she is really able to bond with the celebrity contestants.

"I'm really privileged that I get a front row seat to guide a celebrity that I would never have met any other way through this journey and you get to be really close friends," she said.

And one contestant Slater would be keen to see take the stage is Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay. The reality star has not been shy about her dream to appear on the reality competition series, expressing frustration that costar Ariana Madix landed the gig before her on the most recent season of their Bravo series.

"I think she would [be a great contestant]. I actually don't know if she can dance but you know I want to welcome everybody. So why not, come on the show," Slater said, inviting the star onto the series.

Slater did have a friend of hers join the cast last season, in podcaster/reality television star, Harry Jowsey.

"He's an amazing guy, we were friends before the show. I thought that we were going to get partnered together on this last season actually," Slater told TooFab.

"He's the most amazing person and he did so well. He absolutely killed it and then we went on tour together and cohosted the DWTS tour," she added. "He's just the most amazing guy and I wish nothing but the best for him."