‘Dancing With the Stars’ promotes Ezra Sosa to pro after Artem Chigvintsev’s arrest

Ezra Sosa is the newest pro on Dancing With the Stars season 33.

Formerly a DWTS troupe member, Sosa announced Tuesday on Instagram that he was promoted to pro status for the upcoming season. The news comes after former pro Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.

“It has been three years in the making. To say the least, I’m shocked,” Sosa said in a video posted to the DWTS account. “Most importantly, I’m just honored and grateful and thanks to literally every single person that has supported me to get here. This first season isn’t just going to be for me, it’s going to be for all of you, too.”

Chigvintsev was arrested Aug. 29 in Napa County, Calif., and booked on California penal code 273.5(a), which states that anyone who “willfully inflicts corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition” upon a current or former spouse, partner, cohabitant or fellow co-parent is guilty of a felony. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison and/or a $6,000 fine.

Entertainment Weekly previously confirmed that there were never plans for Chigvintsev to take part in Dancing With the Stars’ forthcoming 33rd season. 

Cheryl Burke, who competed against Chigvintsev on 10 seasons of the ABC reality series, said that she was shocked to hear the news of her former castmate’s arrest as they had “grown up” together.

“My heart goes out to everyone involved,” Burke said on the latest episode of her Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast. “It’s just really hard for me because he’s my family, and I don’t know what to say here other than I hope everybody’s okay.”

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As for Sosa, he’s focusing on his good fortune and the star he will be twirling about on the dance floor.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Sosa told GLAAD, which initially broke the news. “But I think the moment I do meet my [celebrity] partner and the moment I step in the ballroom, that’s when I’ll be like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is actually happening right now!'”

Sosa went on to say that he’s excited to represent the LGBTQ commnity on season 33 and that he credits season 30 contestant Jojo Siwa with helping him come out.

“I went on tour with her…and it was constant days where she would put makeup on my face and I would be bawling in her arms because it made me so uncomfortable because I was raised that it wasn’t ok for guys to wear makeup, for guys to wear glittery things, for guys to wear crop tops, but she was this person starting to introduce these things into my life and it took a very long time.”

This season’s celebrity contestants will be revealed tomorrow morning while season 33 of Dancing With the Stars will premiere Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to stream the next day on Hulu.