Country performer and former Dancing With the Stars contestant Sara Evans joined series host Tom Bergeron recently in a taped interview to explain her decision to withdraw from the popular dance competition series in the wake of media speculation about her pending divorce from her husband of 13 years, Craig Schelske, 43.
In divorce papers filed last week, Evans, 35, alleges that her husband was emotionally and verbally abusive and drank excessively. The singer told Bergeron that her quick exit was done in the best interest of her children, ages 7, 3 and 2. “[It] was very personal, traumatic, hard for my children,” Evans explained in the interview. “Things went drastically downhill a hundred miles per hour.”
In an earlier statement issued by her Sony BMG Entertainment rep Allen Brown, Evans says she’s hopeful “that her fans and TV viewers who’ve supported her in recent weeks and throughout her music career will respect and understand her need for privacy in the face of these recent events.”
Evans’ professional dance partner on the show, Tony Dovolani, appeared during the interview to support his partner, and the duo agreed that although they are no longer in the running to win the competition, they will definitely be appearing at the show’s finale in November.
