Hilaria Baldwin is set to waltz into the Dancing With the Stars ballroom for season 34 — and husband Alec Baldwin is already her biggest fan.
“He’s been wanting me to do the show for a very long time,” Hilaria, 41, exclusively told Luxury Handbag Shopping on Wednesday, September 3, of her husband’s reaction to her joining the series. “I was, like, I feel like I’m old and I’ve had a lot of kids. I’ve broken many bones. And I was like, ‘I can’t do this.’”
Hilaria noted that Alec, 67, was all in on her competing, even going so far as agreeing to move their family to Los Angeles while she trains for the show.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m loving it, and it’s, like, we need it. It was time for an adventure,” she said of relocating from the east to west coast. “It was time to be spontaneous and just do something that was kind of crazy, but also, like, just what an amazing environment to come into to do something crazy. Because everybody’s so nice here, and it’s just all about dancing and having fun.”
Hilaria shares seven children with the famous Saturday Night Live host, whom she wed in 2012. (Alec is also the father of daughter Ireland Baldwin, whom he shares with ex-wife Kim Basinger.)
While Alec was pushing her toward DWTS, Hilaria told Us she was hesitant at first.
“I danced and then I broke my hip when I was 25 and I was in a wheelchair. I couldn’t walk for the better part of a year,” Hilaria recalled of her previous injury. “The first year that you guys all knew me through Alec, I was still recovering. I couldn’t really run till probably a year after knowing Alec.”
The yoga instructor revealed it’s been “emotional connecting to something that was important to me.”
Hilaria also noted that she was “never as good” as her dancing partner, Gleb Savchenko, but she “loved [dance] a lot.”
“I’m happy to come into it with some maturity and just have fun and enjoy every single second that I’m allowed to be here,” she teased of her journey on the reality show.
ABC announced on Wednesday the full cast of celebrities competing on season 34 of DWTS, including Hilaria.
There are two Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars — Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt — competing this season, as well as actors Danielle Fishel, Corey Feldman and Elaine Hendrix. Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, athlete Baron Davis and social media personality Alix Earle will be putting their best foot forward to try and win the coveted Mirrorball trophy, too.
The rest of the season 34 celebs include Traitors alum Dylan Efron, Robert Irwin, Scott Hoying, Lauren Jauregui and Andy Richter.
While the competition will be stiff, Gleb, 41, said he is “so excited” to team up with Hilaria, telling Us on Wednesday, “I was over the moon” to learn of their partnership.
“I was so excited when Hilaria walked in, and I was like, ‘Yes, thank God,’” he gushed.
Hilaria, meanwhile, said she is thrilled to have the Russian dancer as her partner and coach.
“He is very kind, very direct, like, you can’t hurt my feelings,” Hilaria told Us of Gleb’s training style. “Also I love that he’s very into the quality of the dancing, the basic action stuff that I’m really excited to improve on. So I have my student hat on. I’m ready to be a good student.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET.
Prove your DWTS fandom with Luxury Handbag Shopping and Bracketology.tv! Compete against other fans and Us editors in the Bracketology DWTS fantasy league this season to predict which pairs will make it to the finale for season 34. Get access to exclusive content, stats and a chance to win prizes. Join the league for free today!
