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'dwts' ezra sosa promoted to pro for season 33 after confirmation that artem chigvintsev was not returning following arrest
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Ezra Sosa has been promoted to a pro dancer on _Dancing with the Stars._ Formerly a troupe member on the series, Sosa announced on Tuesday, Sept. 3, that he was promoted to pro for season
33. The 23-year-old dancer is the first Latin dance pro to be featured on the reality dancing competition in over a decade. “It hasn’t hit me yet! When I got the call, I honestly was in a
state of shock from the news,” Sosa exclusively told GLAAD on Tuesday. “But I think the moment I do meet my [celebrity] partner and the moment I step in the ballroom, that’s when I’ll be
like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is actually happening right now!’ ” Sosa and the other professional dancers’ celebrity partners will be revealed on Wednesday, Sept. 4, on _Good Morning America_.
ABC previously announced on Thursday, Aug. 22, that Olympic bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik will be one of the celebrity contestants. Sosa first joined the _DWTS _troupe in 2021, and in a
_DWTS_ Instagram video shared Tuesday, he thanked everyone who supported him on his journey over the past three years. “It has been three years in the making. To say the least, I’m
shocked. Most importantly, I’m just honored and grateful and thanks to literally every single person that has supported me to get here. This first season isn’t just going to be for me, it’s
going to be for all of you too,” he said. Sosa’s promotion follows the recent arrest of _DWTS _pro Artem Chigvintsev, who was accused of corporal injury to a spouse in Napa, Calif., on
Thursday, Aug. 29. PEOPLE learned that day that there were no plans for Chigvintsev, 42, to take part in season 33 of the series_ _before his arrest. Chigvintsev was arrested just before 10
a.m. on Aug. 29. He was then booked in the Napa County Jail with a $25,000 bail and released later that day, according to intake records obtained by PEOPLE. TMZ was the first to report the
news. NEVER MISS A STORY — SIGN UP FOR PEOPLE'S FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER TO STAY UP-TO-DATE ON THE BEST OF WHAT PEOPLE HAS TO OFFER, FROM CELEBRITY NEWS TO COMPELLING HUMAN INTEREST
STORIES. Although the booking code indicates Chigvintsev's charge was for corporal injury to a spouse, Chigvintsev's wife Nikki Garcia (formerly Nikki Bella) is presumably the
spouse in question, but it has not yet been confirmed. On Sunday, Sept. 1, TMZ published audio of the Aug. 29 911 call, in which a dispatcher stated that the dancer alleged that Garcia, 40,
had thrown shoes at him. A rep for Garcia previously told PEOPLE, "This is a private matter and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time." A rep for Chigvintsev
has not responded to PEOPLE's request for comment. Season 33 of _Dancing with the Stars_ will premiere Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to
stream the next day on Hulu._ _ _If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free
and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages._