'Dancing With The Stars' Winner Helio Castroneves' Fiancee Calls Off Engagement |
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Topics: Helio Castroneves
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Ray McDonald
Voice of America
November 29, 2007
Helio Castroneves may have won the contest, but he lost the girl.
Less than a day after the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion claimed the mirrorball trophy on the U.S. ABC television reality show Dancing With The Stars, his fiancee, Miami-based business executive Aliette Vazquez, announced the end of their engagement.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Vazquez's publicist Howard Bragman said "There's been a lot of rumors and a lot of stuff said, and she just wanted to confirm that they are no longer engaged. There's no animosity, there's nothing mean. Just a simple confirmation."
Castroneves told Access Hollywood that his engagement has been over "for one or two weeks."
While not confirming rumors that the 32-year-old Castroneves may have been romantically involved with his dance partner, 19-year-old Julianne Hough, Bragman said "I will tell you [that] we wanted to be respectful and wait until the show was over. We did not want to affect the outcome of the show."
Castroneves admitted that Vazquez was not happy that he and Hough shared a kiss during their final November 27 performance. The Brazilian native said "I was like, 'Yea! I got a kiss, yea!'"
Castroneves and Hough both insist they have no relationship off the dance floor and when asked, they said together, "Nooooo. We are just friends."
Hough, who also won last year's contest with her partner, speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, added, "There was nothing with Apolo last season and there's nothing with Helio now."
Bragman said Castroneves and Vazquez had been together for more than six years and became engaged last year.
Julianne Hough called off her engagement to dancer Zach Wilson earlier this year. Speaking on the TV show Inside Edition, she said "I'm 19. I'm really focused on my career. We're really good friends."
Bragman said "I know Helio and I've known him a long time and I think he's a good guy - and I think she's a good guy - and it's just a tough situation. And I want them to get through it as painlessly as possible."