Eat your heart out, Maks! Newly-single Dancing With The Stars pro Karina Smirnoff is kicking off her dancing shoes — along with everything else — in a new PETA campaign — “I’d Rather Dance Naked Than Wear Fur” — shot by celebrity photographer Robert Sebree.
The stunning 31-year-old stopped wearing fur after watching footage of baby seals being killed for their pelts.
“I did wear fur, especially when I was growing up in the Ukraine,” the fancy-footed beauty reveals in an interview with PETA. “But there are ways of being warm and being fashionable without being cruel.”
Smirnoff joins a growing list of celebrities–including Christina Applegate, Sophie Monk, Khloe Kardashian, Nia Long, and Kimora Lee Simmons –who have starred in PETA’s anti-fur ad campaign.
The DWTS Curse strikes again! Grammy Award-winning singer Mya spent the night in a L.A. hospital after sustaining injuries to her finger on the eve of the ninth season of Dancing With The Stars.
“Went 2 the hospital late last night 2 get stitches. Deep cut from glass. Only caught 2 hours of sleep but feel great. Must be adrenaline,” she Tweeted in a message on her Twitter page Monday.
Nonetheless, Mya wants her fans to know that she’s feeling fine and is ready to hit the ground running on tonight’s premiere: “Nothing to worry about. Just an ugly slice on my finger-not the first time I’ve had stitches. I’ll be just fine. Thanks4the concern.”
The “Free” hitmaker, a professionally trained dancer who has appeared on Broadway, is a frontrunner to take home the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy this season.
Dancing With The Stars Season 9 premieres tonight @ 8PM on ABC.
Dancing With The Stars will honor Patrick Swayze on its Sept. 23 live results show, PEOPLE has learned.
Swayze, who went from Broadway dancer to Hollywood star in box-office hits like Dirty Dancing and Ghost, died on September 14 after a nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The son of a choreographer, Swayze made a guest appearance on the first season of Dancing in 2005, teaching friend John O’Hurley a few dance moves in rehearsal.
“We have some very fond memories of [the late actor] coming to help us our when we were a tiny little show way back when,” says DWTS executive producer Conrad Green. “He was one of the few people to integrate dance with being an A-list actor. He inspired many people and many of our pros to dance. We want to honor the great moments he’s brought to film by getting our dancers to do their interpretation to some music from his films.”
Dancing With The Stars Season 9 has its first casualty, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay injured his foot while rehearsing with pro partner Cheryl Burke on Tuesday.
“No stress fracture! It is a pre-stress fracture. I live for another day,”the Texan tweeted Tuesday. “Old age is catching up to me…No worries, it’ll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor.”
The 62-year-old Republican was examined by doctors, who will determine if he can perform on the DWTS season opener, premiering next Monday, Sept. 21 on ABC. Due to the massive number of injuries suffered by contestants in past seasons, show producers implemented a cap of five hours per day of rehearsals for this season’s performers.
Now that Dancing With The Stars cutie Karina Smirnoff has dismissed series co-star/rebound guy Maksim from the ballroom, do you think her Season 9 partner Aaron Carter stands a shot at love with the petite dancer?
Dancing With The Stars champions Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy won’t be dancing down the aisle in holy matrimony, after all. Karina’s rep tells E! News that the ballroom pros, who spent the summer performing in the Broadway production Burn The Floor, have parted ways after nearly a year of dating.
Smirnoff, 31, and Chmerkovskiy, 28, became engaged in December and had planned on getting married in June 2010, but prolonged their engagement in July due to their busy theater schedules.
“I am confirming that they did indeed break up,” says a rep for Karina — who began dating her DWTS co-star after a messy split with former flame Mario Lopez.
ABC just issued an official list of the couples competing on the upcoming ninth season of Dancing With The Stars — although several pairings have already been unveiled.
Dancing With The Stars 9 premieres with a three-night-event on Monday, Sept. 21 @ 8PM on ABC.
Last season’s pro champion Mark Ballas and actress Melissa Joan Hart have been paired together for the ninth season of Dancing With The Stars — and they’re already Tweeting about it.
“Hiya partner!” the former Sabrina The Teenage Witch star Tweeted at Mark on Friday night. “I’m so excited to get this season started! Can’t wait to waltz tomorrow.”
“You guys gotta follow @Mellyjhart,” Mark Tweeted in response on Saturday. “Team Malarky needs your love!!”
Mark later added, “I’m sooo addicted to the waltz right now. Can’t stop dancing in my little hotel room…”
“Im feeling a little sore and tired today but excited to go meet Mark and get my feet moving,” she Tweeted on Sunday. “Its gonna be a long month!”
The official partners announcement is expected this Monday. ABC’s Dancing With The Stars returns to the air on Sept. 21.
Bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, one of the stars rumored to be hitting the dance floor next for the ninth season of ABC’s Dancing With The F-Listers, is disappointed he was snubbed by show producers, RadarOnline.com has learned.
“They never even had the class to give Lou a call and tell him that he was not going to be chosen,” Lou’s furious wife Carla fumes. “This is the second time they haven’t selected him, but it will be the last,” she told Radar on Thursday.
(You know your career has hit an all-time low when you’re disappointed that you weren’t selected to join a cast of has-beens on a television reality series. Come on, Lou! This is actually a good thing.)
“We couldn’t believe some of the people they picked and Lou was more surprised than upset that he wasn’t chosen because we know he would have been great,” Carla scoffed. “I mean Tom Delay, a corrupt politician, a skateboarder (Louie Vito) who nobody has ever heard of and what exactly has Ashley Hamilton ever done?”
