DWTS Celebrities Mourn Sudden Death of Beloved L.A. Television Anchor

Heavy/ABC “Dancing With the Stars” news update.

Members of the “Dancing With the Stars”  family are mourning the death of a legendary Los Angeles morning TV anchor who was a friend to many.

On May 10, 2024, TMZ confirmed that entertainment anchor Sam Rubin died of a heart attack at age 64. Rubin was a fixture on KLTA-TV since 1991 and was on the air the day before he died.

Rubin was known to television fans outside of Los Angeles due to his many celebrity interviews.

Hours after Rubin’s death, several stars from “Dancing with the Stars” paid tribute.

Cheryl Burke Was Heartbroken By the News of Sam Rubin’s Death

In the hours after the announcement of Rubin’s death, his colleagues at KTLA offered an on-air tribute. According to The Hollywood Reporter, former “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Cheryl Burke called into the station during the broadcast. “I’m literally going through pictures in tears at the moment,” the dancer said. “He was my podcast dad whether he liked it or not. …He was very present when I was being interviewed by him.”

Burke also posted a photo to Instagram of her posing with Rubin. In the caption, she shared that the news of her “cherished” friend was “heartbreaking” to her.

“[Sam Rubin], your charismatic presence and thoughtful reporting left a lasting impression,” she wrote. “Your light and laughter filled our mornings on @ktla5news and I was honored to be able to call you a mentor and my podcast dad or in your eyes, my podcast brother, and now your absence weighs heavily on my heart.”

Several DWTS pros commented on Burke’s post.

“Very sad news… 😢😢 RIP Sam RIP TJ 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼,”  wrote Anna Trebunskaya.

“So sad. Sam was just the sweetest,” wrote Kym Johnson Herjavec.

Herjavec also made a separate post. She captioned a still from one of her interviews with Rubin with, “Wishing I had a better picture of Sam where you could see his lovely smile. You can still see the kindness and warmth he exudes though. Sam was so kind, really interested in people and loved what he did. Sending so much love to his family and friends 💕 RIP sweet Sam.”

Tom Bergeron, Carrie Ann Inaba & Other DWTS Celebs Reacted to Sam Rubin’s Death

Other “Dancing With the Stars” personalities mourned the death of Rubin. Former DWTS host Tom Bergeron shared a clip of his last on-camera interview with Rubin. The sit-down took place about six months earlier to promote a telethon for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

“Stunned to hear that @samontv has died,” Bergeron wrote. “I always enjoyed my @ktla5news visits with him & deeply appreciated his continued support of @mptf. This was our most recent chat in advance of last December’s @mptf telethon. He was an LA TV institution. Sending condolences to his family and large circle of friends 😔.”

“Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba also paid tribute to Rubin. She posted a professional photo of him with a caption about his kind nature. ”It just won’t be the same without you Sam. 💔 ,” she wrote. “Your compassion, your kindness, your talent, and your incredible wit and warmth, will always be remembered. God Speed my friend…may you rest in peace. I hope you know that you made a difference in this world and made it a better place. You. You did that. And you will be missed. ❤️ @samontv #samrubin.”

Former DWTS contestant and guest co-host Leah Remini posted footage of Rubin to Threads. Remini described Rubin as a “true gentleman” during their many interviews together. “He made the people he interviewed feel incredibly comfortable and safe, which is why he got many meaningful and memorable responses to his thoughtful questions,” she added. “Sam was also a comforting presence for so many Angelenos, always on our screens in the good times and bad.” Remini also shared that Rubin was “attacked” by the Church of Scientology whenever he interviewed her, but that he never backed down from talking to her.

“Dancing With the Stars” season 28 constant Kate Flannery also shared a tribute. “Oh Sam, wish you could see this, everyone raving about you❤️,” the former “The Office” star wrote. “Gutted to hear this! Sam Rubin was the best of the best, just saw him a few weeks ago. He was always authentic and kind, a true loss for all of us and @KTLA.”

The last “Dancing With the Stars” alum that Rubin may have interviewed was Harry Jowsey in early May. Following the announcement of Rubin’s sudden death, the season 32 alum posted a photo from the May 1 interview to Instagram with the message: “The world lost an incredible human today. Sending my love to Sam’s friends and family. What a tragic loss. My heart is hurting for you.”