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 stephen

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So stupid!

By PRETGURL

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To K.Dee....You are sadly mistaken..NO ONE is born GAY..it's a lifestyle that you choose. God didn't make Adam & Steve..He made Adam & Eve...just look at our animals for instance..have you ever seen a male dog go at it with another male dog??? uhhh NO and you never will because God didn't make them that way!!! You ppl kill me with that excuse..just own up to it and stop blaming God!!! Cause He didn't do it..He does; however, give us a choice and it's up to us to make the right one or NOT and deal with the consequences.

By Tim C

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As long as there are ignorant people like you, you are going to hear about it. Did you "choose" to be straight?

By Erena

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LMAOOO! im thinking the same thing! already pedos are lurking around for rights... it's in the media, movies, JUSTIN BIEBER!!!.. LMAOOO! yeah but i agree with u!

By syl1969

Totally agree with K.Dee!! When they are given equal rights under the law, everybody will stop talking about it. Gay is NOT a 'chosen lifestylel' and it's the narrow-minded, biggoted thinking like yours that allows the treatment of these people to continue! Mind your own business!

By Mama Mac

jaguar: If anything is causing the collapse of "our society" it is ignorance like yours. Did you choose the "ignoramus lifestyle", or were you just born stupid?
Personally, I'm more tired of the uneducated RWNJs trying to shove their lifestyle down my throat than I am anybody else.

By Joe

I have to agree with you. I am gay and even I am sick of having GAY shoved in my face everywhere I turn. It's just a fad and a successful marketing tool right now. But I think it will subside.

By DIANE

I 100% AGREE...AND JUST DANCE I LOVE THE SHOW WITHOUT ALL THE DUMB STATEMENTS, DO THAT ON YOUR TIME YOUR SHOW.AND LEAVE DWTS ALONE IT'S A GOOD DECENT SHOW, SO ENOUGH OF THE REMARKS.

By Tracie Smith

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AMEN!!!! and they call US intolerant...

By toughcritic

You're dead wrong, Dee. Homosexuals have every single right I have. The men have the right to marry any woman they want and the gals have the right to marry any guy they want. THEY WANT EXTRAORDINARY RIGHTS! They want to change the 2000 year old tradition of holy matrimony. They want to defile it for solely selfish self centered reasons. Marriage is a holy sacrament. You cannot bless a sin! Homosexuals can do everything and have access to everything straights can do and have . The Supreme Court must affirm traditional marriage or society as we know it will end in total chaos.

By bill

To PRETGURL, I believe it is YOU that is sadly mistaken. Yes, I have seen to male dogs together. I have seen other animals doing it also. If you took your nose out of your Bible and looked at science, you would also see it.

By Valerie Furr

I have always like Louie but he is wrong you are not born gay and you don't need to flaunt it around people that are Chritians and obey God's laws. A person has to be responsible for themselves and what they believe. But Christians are now being threaten more than any other group. Which the Bible tells you that is the way it will be at end times. Louie never put it in your face till he was out there this time he is a great dancer and I hope he finds God before it is too late.

By BJ Herrick

Do you live in Kansas and attend the Westboro Church. You sound like a Rev Phelps Christian

By Terry

You sir are a BULLY!! I can spot one a MILE AWAY!! HELLOOOOOOO children are KILLING THEMSELVES for being different....and they can't help how they feel....they were born gay they didn't CHOOSE it! And for you to say ""Next, this culture will legalize and accept Pedophilias, Rapist,Beastiology and who knows what else"" IS IGNORANCE BEYOND BELIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Nancy

Someone else said EXACTLY that! You both need a dictionary. "Pedophilias, Rapist,Beastiology." Really?! I don't think anyone will ever accept those. Nor will anyone ever accept pedophiles, rapists or beastiality!

By Abby

it is beastiality.... and there is a big difference bewteen being a homosexual/Lesbian, and Beastiality, pediophila!

It is beastiality! And there is a big difference between Beastaiity and pediophilia, and rape and being a Homosexual/lesbian. And No I am not a lesbian I am a happy hetero (married for 24 years) female!

By jaguar02

Terry, the Only IGNORANCE BEYOND BELIEF (as you word it) is YOURS & those that think with , well-let's just say, Not your Brain within your skull.

Friday 15 October

By realmrm0

hey well stop rubbing gay in your face when you stop rubbing straight in everyone elses! maybe give us the same rights you have and then we wouldn't have to march on the street and make a big deal sticking up for basic rights that you take for granted.

To Sue, Momma Mac & Terry. The words, 'stupid', 'ignorant' or 'bully' or anywhere on my doctorate degree.

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