The Ultimate Ballroom Betrayal?
Sasha Farber is officially the nice guy finishing last, or he is the best actor in Hollywood. The Dancing With the Stars pro has finally broken his silence on the incestuous love triangle that has rocked the reality competition series. Just months after finalizing his divorce from fellow dancer Emma Slater, Sasha is forced to watch her play tonsil hockey with his own coworker and friend, Alan Bersten. It is the kind of workplace nightmare that would make HR departments crumble, but Sasha is playing the “supportive ex” card so hard we are starting to worry about him.
On the Monday, January episode of the “Casual Chaos” podcast, Farber addressed the romance that has turned the DWTS backstage area into a soap opera. TMZ broke the news last year that Slater and Bersten were hooking up, and they sealed the deal with a very public onstage kiss during the live tour. Most men would be throwing chairs, but Sasha is taking the high road—at least publicly.
“Listen, things don’t always work out. That’s life, unfortunately,” Farber said, sounding like a man trying to convince himself as much as the audience. “And when you’re with someone for so many years, it becomes family whether you’re with them or you’re not.”
It is a classy response to a messy situation. Farber and Slater were the golden couple of the ballroom, married from until their split in . Watching your “family” move on with the guy whose locker is right next to yours? That is a special kind of torture. Yet, Farber insists there is no bad blood.
“So at the end of the day, we’re still supportive of each other,” he claimed. “And at the end of the day, I want her to be happy. And I wish them nothing but the best. And it’s amazing. Good luck.”
“Good luck.” Two words that can mean everything or absolutely nothing depending on the tone. Is it a genuine blessing, or is it a warning to Alan Bersten about what he is signing up for? Only Sasha knows for sure.
The Baby Ultimatum That Killed the Marriage
While the Alan Bersten romance is the headline, the real tragedy lies in the reason Sasha and Emma split in the first place: babies. In a heartbreaking confession, Sasha admitted that his desire to be a father is still the driving force in his life—a desire that ultimately cost him his wife.
Emma Slater went on the record in stating that they were on different pages regarding children. She wasn’t ready; he was desperate to start a family. On the podcast, Sasha doubled down on his baby fever, painting a picture of a man who is ready to trade the sequins for diapers immediately.
“I guess that’s what I’m searching for,” Farber admitted, his voice dripping with longing. “And it’s like — not a hard pill to swallow — but like, I think I come from such an incredible family, like I can see the way my dad loves my mom and the way my mom loves my dad. And to me, I think I want little farbies running around.”
Little Farbies. The man has a nickname for his future children already. This confirms what insiders have whispered for years: Sasha is a dad without a baby, and his marriage crumbled because he couldn’t wait any longer. It makes the sight of Emma frolicking with Alan—who is younger and famously a bachelor—sting even more. Sasha is looking for a wife and mother; Emma is looking for a good time.
Confessing to the ‘Showmance’ Culture
If you ever wondered why everyone on Dancing With the Stars seems to sleep with each other, Sasha just gave away the playbook. He openly admitted that the show is essentially a factory for romantic feelings, validating every rumor we have ever heard about the “DWTS Curse” that destroys relationships.
When you spend / sweating on top of a stranger, things get weird. Sasha didn’t shy away from the reality of the physical intimacy required to win the Mirrorball Trophy.
“I wouldn’t say that they’re fake by all means because it’s present. It’s happening. It’s not like you’re forcing anything,” he revealed. He went on to describe the intense, almost aggressive intimacy of the rehearsal room.
“This, you’re just thrown in. ‘Let’s go. Hi, nice to meet you. OK, we are going to rub hips. We are going to dip. We are going to do this. I want to get in your face here. You have to really look at me.'”
He called the show’s track record for relationships “better than a lot of dating shows,” which is a low bar, but accurate. He basically confirmed that you can “bypass everything” regarding normal dating protocols and jump straight to the physical stuff. “Sometimes you can develop feelings,” he added. No kidding, Sasha.
“He’s admitting it! The show is just a legal way for celebs to cheat on their spouses. Rubbing hips? Getting in your face? It’s softcore porn with sparkles.”
Sidelined: The Season Snub
Adding insult to injury, Sasha wasn’t even given a partner for Season . While his ex-wife was front and center, Sasha was relegated to the sidelines, forced to watch the action from the wings. He tried to spin it as a mutual decision to “sit this one out,” but reading between the lines, it sounds like a massive blow to his ego.
“I would be lying if I said, ‘Oh it was easy.’ But it wasn’t easy because I know what I can do and my level in the sense,” Farber confessed. Translation: I am too good to be benched.
He claimed the show “didn’t have a partner” for him but offered him “other things.” In Hollywood speak, that means “we demoted you to backup dancer.” It had to be grueling to show up for the first two weeks, paste on a smile, and cheer for the friends who took his spot—and the ex-wife who took his heart.
“It was a little hard,” he admitted. That is likely the understatement of the century.
The Snooki Nightmare
Sasha also took a trip down memory lane to Season , sharing a chaotic story about his time partnered with Jersey Shore legend Snooki. If you thought managing a messy divorce was hard, try managing a reality star who disappears before rehearsal.
Farber revealed that the travel schedule was brutal, bouncing between coasts to accommodate Snooki’s life. But the real drama happened when they had precious time in Los Angeles, and Snooki decided to go MIA. To make matters worse, Snooki’s father had personally threatened Sasha.
“Her dad calls me, he’s like, ‘Make sure you look after her.’ I was like, ‘I got her. Don’t worry,'” Sasha recalled. Famous last words.
When rehearsal started, Snooki was nowhere to be found. “I was like, ‘Snooks, where are you?’ Her name is Nicole. I was like, ‘Nicole, where are you?’ And she’s like, ‘I’m coming. I’m sorry, I’m a little late.'”
Sasha waited over an hour, sweating bullets, imagining her dad coming for him. Finally, Snooki rolled in with her co-star Jenni “JWoww” Farley, fresh from a tattoo parlor. They had blown off dance practice to get inked. “I was like, ‘Her dad’s going to kill me,'” Farber joked. It is a funny story now, but it highlights the absolute circus these pro dancers have to manage.
The Selma Blair Panic Attack
Sasha’s relationship with his partners runs deep, evidenced by a terrifying story he shared about Season partner Selma Blair. The actress, who battles multiple sclerosis, went dark on him recently, sending Sasha into a full-blown panic spiral.
After calls and texts went unanswered, Sasha pulled a wellness check on her house. When he heard her dog Pip barking but not her service dog Scout, his mind went to the darkest possible place.
“I was like, if Scout her service animal is there, that’s scary because what if she fell? It just goes through your head. I’m like, ‘What if she fell? What if she had a seizure? What’s going on?'”
He didn’t just sit there; he drove around the neighborhood hunting for her. This isn’t just a dance partner; this is a man who is deeply, almost obsessively protective. He eventually found her walking out of a nail salon, safe and sound, having forgotten her phone. “I was like, ‘Jesus,'” he said. The relief was palpable.
What’s Next for the Lonely Dancer?
Sasha Farber is at a crossroads. He is single, he wants kids desperately, and he is watching his ex-wife live her best life with his colleague. He claims he “hates dating” because it takes too long to get to the good stuff. “Hi, nice to meet you. OK, we are going to rub hips,” is clearly his preferred method of courtship.
Will he find a new partner on the dance floor next season? Or is he destined to be the supportive “uncle” to everyone else’s happiness? One thing is for sure: The tension in the DWTS locker room is going to be thick enough to cut with a knife when the next season rolls around. And we will be watching every hip thrust and eye roll.
