Former ‘DWTS’ Celebrity James Van Der Beek Finally Allowed to Thank Emma Slater, Tom Bergeron
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Dancing With The Stars season 28 celebrity contestant James Van Der Beek has finally been allowed to thank his former dance partner and former host of the show. Nearly two and a half years after his DWTS journey, Instagram has allowed him to post his heartfelt message to his partner.
James Van Der Beek’s Delayed Thank You Post to Emma Slater, Tom Bergeron
Recently, Instagram messaged Van Der Beek, informing the actor that his appreciation post from July 2020 is finally allowed to be put up. The heartfelt message is to thank his former dance partner Emma Slater. Additionally, Van Der Beek thanked former host Tom Bergeron for what he did to help him off camera.
“Instagram pulled this post down two and a half years ago, and just today informed me they have decided to allow it,” Van Der Beek wrote. “Warning: might make you cry. And want to dance.”
Van Der Beek thanks Slater, Bergeron, and the program in general in the reel’s caption, writing about how well the show treated him and his mother. Prior to his stint on DWTS, he believed his mother was about to pass away. He also expressed gratitude to the show for the time they had together in the caption.
He thanked Slater for her “exquisite” routines, he also thanked Bergeron for something he did off camera. When the former host saw Van Der Beek’s mother crying in the audience, he gave the actor a nudge to tell him to go to her. The actor’s mother, Melinda Van Der Beek, died in July 2020 at the age of 70. He shared a series of images of her to Instagram at the time. Some of which were shot in the DWTS ballroom, and noted that losing her was still a great shock.
Van Der Beek Went Through Another Loss During His DWTS Run
Van Der Beek was removed the night after his wife miscarried their unborn child, becoming another tragedy for the actor. On the one-year anniversary of the loss, he paid tribute to Slater, the DWTS judges, and fellow participant Ally Brooke. Brooke wanted to give Van Der Beek her position in the finale as soon as she found out what happened.
“That was one of the things his soul came here to unlock. He gave me access to grace. And I share this because we’re all going through something,” Van Der Beek wrote.
Though Van Der Beek’s fifth-place finish is considered a success by most viewers, it was a bitter-sweet experience for him. He’s now finally able to thank everyone that helped him in his DWTS journey with the Instagram post.
