Dancing with the Stars celebrity Selma Blair has revealed when she knew she had to leave the competition to protect herself from further physical injury.
ADVERTISEMENT
The movie star withdrew from Season 31 of Dancing with the Stars due to the damaging physical stress on her body as a sufferer of multiple sclerosis during Monday night's performance show, which featured 12 couples dancing and sharing stories about their "Most Memorable Year" on Disney+.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
"I didn't want to leave," Selma, who previously starred in Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, told Us Weekly following Monday night's show.
Selma, 50, said a doctor's visit on Thursday, October 13 was when she "knew" she must leave the show for the sake of her health.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I had an MRI on my knee, and the doctor was like, 'Ugh, if you can choreograph it in the pool or do something, you know, not weight-bearing,'" Selma revealed.
Selma said a doctor continued to monitor her symptoms and she never really improved.
"I was like, 'Oh, but maybe I feel better. Let me check stuff, and then if that's okay, then I'll continue,'" Selma recalled.
"But it wasn't great, but nothing horrible. But I was like, 'Oh, okay. I'm not prepared for horrible,' but leaving was horrible enough. I felt last week would be our last dance, but then I was like, 'No, no way.'"
Selma expressed how "sometimes you just have to take care of yourself."
ADVERTISEMENT
But Selma said she had "gains" from dancing on the show that she wouldn't have been able to achieve in physical therapy or with regular exercise.
"I had a bone overload, but on the other side, I had total gains," Selma said, adding, "I can calm down better now when confronted with a new task."
On Dancing with the Stars, Selma explained how she had pushed herself too far considering she battles a chronic illness.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
"It's way too much for the safety of my bones. There is intensive bone trauma and inflammation, among rips and tears. So I could do extensive damage that, of course, I do not want... I have to settle in and get back to being a mom," Selma explained.
ADVERTISEMENT
Before leaving the show, Selma and her professional partner Sasha Farber performed one final dance, a waltz to Andra Day's cover of "What the World Needs Now Is Love."
Selma and Sasha paid tribute to Selma's most memorable year, 2018, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and finally had the answers she needed.
Dancing with the Stars judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough awarded Selma and Sasha 10s across the board, making for the season's first perfect score of 40 points.
"This competition is hard for everyone, but if the others have climbed hills, you have climbed mountains," Len told Selma.
Bruno said Selma has never shone brighter, and Derek said she was a "beacon of light" to everyone else in the competition, even to the staff who work behind the scenes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Derek told Us after the show how Dancing with the Stars is already planning how to include Selma in the Season 31 finale.
"She was the story of Dancing with the Stars Season 31," Derek noted. "I think this is the right choice without a doubt, and I have no doubt that we haven't seen the last of her."
Derek said he already told Selma that they'll be doing something finale night.
"We're doing something in the finale. Don't care. We're gonna do something cool. I already got some choreography playing on the table and we're gonna do some fun stuff.' I was already pitching her ideas!" Derek boasted.
RELATED LINK: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: WHO'S DATING OR MARRIED TO WHOM!? (PHOTOS)
Dancing with the Stars' two-night event continues on Tuesday, October 18 at 8PM ET on Disney+.
The judges' scores and viewer votes from Monday night will be combined with the scores and votes on Tuesday night to result in the elimination of one couple.