Carefully calculated plan by a bitter blonde or just the way the cookie crumbles?
That’s the question many are asking today following the weird way newly-crowned “Dancing with the Stars” champ Helio Castroneves announced his split from his fiancée, Aliette Vazquez.
Okay, it’s the question I’m asking today.
Just hours after Castroneves and his pro partner (and now two-time champ) Julianne Hough raised the disco-ball trophy in triumph on Tuesday’s “Dancing” finale (and I finished dancing around my house in delight) the couple hit the talk show circuit.
First stop ABC’s “Good Morning America.” That’s where the 32-year-old race car driver and his 19-year-old dancing teacher put rumors to rest regarding a budding romance ala Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas. It was a reasonable question given the prolonged kiss the pair shared on the dance floor at the conclusion of their quickstep during Tuesday’s finale.
Regarding the kiss Castroneves told reporters, ““I was like, ‘Yea! I got a kiss, yea!‘”
Regarding the rumors that the duo were parlaying their winning moves off the dance floor into something more than “just friends,” Hough insisted there is nothing going on.
“Noooooo. We are just friends,” said Hough, who was also partnered with last year’s champ, Apolo Anton Ohno. The blonde nimble beauty also added, “There was nothing with Apolo last season and there’s nothing with Helio now.”
Now, here’s where things get tricky.
After their appearance on “Good Morning America” the pair set off to chat with the ladies on “The View.” While there co-host Barbara Walters brought up Castroneves and Hough’s dance floor smooch.
When pressed the Indy car champ revealed that Vazquez was not happy with him locking lips with his dance partner. But, he insisted that everything between the two was “fine.” That’s when Hough jumped in and added that she planned to teach Vasquez some moves for her upcoming nuptials to Castroneves.
Nice move.
HOWEVER, there’s one little problem with Hough’s generous offer. It doesn’t appear as though Vazquez will be taking her up on her offer.
Minutes after Castroneves wrapped up his appearance on “The View” Vazquez released a statement to the media announcing that she broke off her engagement to the new “Dancing” champ… two weeks ago.
“There’s been a lot of rumors and a lot of stuff said, and she just wanted confirmed that they are no longer engaged. There’s no animosity, there’s nothing mean. Just a simple confirmation,” Vazquez’s publicist told news reporters.
Vazquez’s publicist also noted that his gorgeous blonde client wanted to be respectful and wait until the show was over (she reportedly didn’t want the news to affect the outcome of the show) to announce the split.
Regardless, the timing of her announcement could not have been more newsworthy given that Castroneves had made no indication that his relationship was over while on “The View.”
Suddenly Castroneves’ press tour took a sudden turn and he was forced to spend the remainder of the day trying to explain away the remarks he made to Walters and crew.
In an interview with TV’s Access Hollywood Castroneves came clean and confirmed his engagement with his Miami jewelry designer fiancée had been broken “off for one or two weeks.”
He told Access, “Ali is a fantastic person. We had the engagement off for one or two weeks. It’s a shame; she’s a great person. I’m sure we’re going to be friends.”
Castroneves and Vazquez had been together for more than six years and became engaged last year.
Earlier in the season, Castroneves told TV’s Entertainment Tonight he postponed his wedding until 2008.
“Everything is happening so quick. The (IndyCar Series) championship is over, the dancing started, and basically, I was like, ‘Ali, let’s take it easy. Otherwise, we will be divorced before we get married!’”
Foreshadow…
Interestingly, last May, Hough also postponed her wedding to then fiancé Zach Wilson. The ended their romance a few months later.
“I’m 19. I’m really focused on my career. We’re really good friends,” Hough told Inside Edition of her split with Wilson.
Must be something in the “Dancing” water.
What do you make of Castoneves’ remarks to Walters and then having to make amends for them later?