Louis van Amstel on Margaret Cho's Rainbow Statement: 'I Had a Breakdown'

By Stacy Jenel Smith Posted Oct 14th 2010 08:58AM

It's taking a while for 'Dancing With the Stars' pro Louis van Amstel to get over the anguish of his and celeb partner Margaret Cho's early dismissal from the top-rated ABC competition show -- which was no ordinary axing, as far as he is concerned.

"I had a breakdown the next day. I called my friends, I felt horrible," the Amsterdam-born ballroom champ and choreographer tells PopEater.

Viewers will recall that judge Bruno Tonioli complimented Cho on her gay pride rainbow dress, and judge Carrie Ann Inaba chimed in that the show had gone gay, with Cho declaring it the gayest thing that's ever happened on 'Dancing.'

Van Amstel has been going around explaining ever since: "That was not the story we planned to tell. That was not my message. Maybe it was Margaret's message, but not mine. The minute it was about gay pride, I knew we were gone. I knew it. But if I would have said something then and there, I would have looked like an a******. The damage was done."

Van Amstel says he and Cho had "a long, serious conversation about it the following day because I couldn't let it go. I was so unhappy." According to him, their plan had been to tell the story, through their dance, of her emergence from her painful background of being bullied for being overweight, her subsequent anorexia, suicidal feelings and other difficulties, until she finally learned to accept and love herself. But once the rainbow dress was deemed a gay pride symbol, he says, "She felt, 'Yes, we've got to make a statement. We've got that one moment in time with 23 million people watching, we've got to take it.'"

"I disagreed with it. I think you change people's minds by being you -- not by provoking, being angry at the world."

He adds, "One of the people who actually changed my mind was Morgan Freeman. He said, 'If we take all the labels away, that's when we will change this world.' I live by that idea. I live by it."

Van Amstel says, "If I have to label myself, yes, I'm gay, and I'm proud of who I am and comfortable with myself and my lifestyle. But I don't want to be limited by that; I don't want to be put into a box. I don't want to be labeled in any way because labeling is the beginning of discrimination and hatred."

Both of which he has felt. Growing up, Van Amstel had his own sad times and experiences with bullies. "For being fat and then for being gay. It makes you very introverted, makes you very quiet," he believes. "I used that to be creative."

Now, van Amstel, whose last two 'DWTS' partners were Niecy Nash and Kelly Osbourne, hopes "people like me as a person, like what I do and what I do with my celebrity ... I'm working my a** off to show who I am, as someone who is passionate about what I do, who'll play devil's advocate to get the best out of you if necessary ... That's what I was known for, but with this one moment, suddenly, this is what sticks."

With this season's work complete, Van Amstel is concentrating on his dance classes, his Louis Dance Blast franchising and online pursuits, plus the 'DWTS' spin-off tour he produces, Ballroom With a Twist, which is touring Canada with several 'DWTS' personalities. He's also busy with charitable pursuits, including the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), "which is working in education, in schools, to create a bully-free environment. All kids should have a great time at school. It's a human rights campaign, covering every minority, every kind of discrimination -- that's what I support," he says.

And as for that rainbow? "Yes, I know that the gay community uses the rainbow flag, but to me, it's important to also remember we all live under the rainbow."

Tags: Dancing With the Stars, Louis van Amstel, Margaret Cho

Comments

(284)

Thursday 14 October

By Sue

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I did not enjoy watching her dance.

By njgirlxxxx

Your right.

By maria

Absolutely...you can relax Louis, Margaret was lucky to have not been voted off the first night. She does have a statement and it is anger...you are one of my favorite dancers...you made Kely Osbourn shine

By Tigger

No - she's a terrible GAY dancer. get it right...that's what Cho wanted you to know.

By Leonor Guy

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I agree...she was kicked out because she cannot dance...his sexual orientation has nothing to do with this and he should not feel that it did. He's a wonderful dancer and choreographer. In my opinion, she should have been the first to go because she just cannot dance and looked clumpsy, no matter what he tried to teach her.

By Jordan

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Van Amstel is a Liar! Cho's dress was a Gay flag, Van Amstel wore a Gay pride belt and the song "Copa Cabana" is the Gayest song there is. Van Amstel says "That was not the story we planned to tell" How can you do that routine, wearing those clothes and Not think its Gay? Giveme a Break!

By Toria

Copacabana is a song about two MEN fighting over a WOMAN, so how exactly is that song GAY?

By Diana

Wow thats harsh but I do agree that Louis knew what was going on even if he didn't agree with it. I also agree that the minute you say "I'm gay, I'm a Christian, I'm Latino.. whatever" you do put yourself in a box and you define yourself.
Louis changed once he danced with Kelly, he let go and became more animated and he also really cared about his celeb partner and didn't take it so seriously.
I like Louis but no matter what he did he and Cho were not going to win. No way was she fat, great legs, just couldn't flow with the music - probably just to nervous.

By lindy

well jordan, i wasnt thinking gay, while they where out there dancing

By R K Savage

Copa Cabana Gay? Uh, The song is about a man and a woman, Lola And Rico.

By tk

In response to Toria, "how exactly is that song gay?" Um, it was sung by Barry Manilow who got his start playing piano backing up Bette Midler in gay bathhouses. HELLLLOOOOOOO!!!!! LOL Barry was the Clay Aiken of the 70's.....with no offense meant to either...

By jhdjhd

you are right. don't drive drunk and whine when you have an accident. don't stand in the middle of the road and cry when you get hit. you ask for it, you get it. suck it up.

By Doug

Everyone else did. Also this should be a show of dance not issues. Keep issues to themselves.

By jaguar02

And I am so sick of having all this GAY Crap always in our faces. Next, this culture will legalize and accept Pedophilias, Rapist,Beastiology and who knows what else. No wonder this society is collapsing. I really don't care if someone chooses a Gay lifestyle, but Stop with it, 'In Our Faces' everytime one turns around,

You are an ignorant idiot.

Friday 15 October

By John Richkus

You are an idiot.

By ant

stop supporting laws that discriminate against gay people and they will have no reason to be in your face.

By K.Dee

Poeple dont chose a gay lifestyle, that is determined before your born. If you want people to stop talking about being gay, then give them the equal rights they deserve!

By jerry

Are you kidding? "Choose" a lifestyle? Do you really think gay people choose to be gay? really? You think people choose to have no rights, choose to be ridiculed daily? choose to be beat up or killed for who they fall in love with? Do you think people choose to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives? Do you think people choose to have cancer? Nobody chooses a lifestyle, its what GOD gave us. I thank God every day for making me this way because I dont have to go though life with so much hatered. Its too bad stupid people still dont get it

By pinkie

From a straight gal: You're attitude is what's wrong with the world, not being gay. Live and let live.

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