James Van Der Beek‘s Dancing with the Stars journey has come to an end — but finalist Ally Brooke wanted nothing more than to give up her spot for him.

On Monday’s heart-wrenching episode of the ABC dance competition series, the Dawson’s Creek alum, 42, was sent home one week shy of the finale.

The verdict was an especially difficult one as Van Der Beek announced earlier in the episode that his wife Kimberly had suffered a miscarriage over the weekend.

A tearful Brooke, who ended up in the bottom two with Van Der Beek but was saved by the judges, immediately offered to surrender her spot to him, which the competition doesn’t allow.

Speaking to reporters after the emotional show, the Fifth Harmony singer revealed what the actor told her after she tried to sacrifice herself.

“He was just like, ‘I can’t accept that,’ and ‘It’s very, very kind,’ and he said, ‘Just enjoy it,'” she said. “I talked to him afterward as well and I tried to offer again … and he was just like, ‘No, please, you just enjoy it and you shine and don’t be afraid to shine,’ are the exact words he told me.

“I’m taking that in,” she continued. “Even though I’m very sad and in a way feel like I shouldn’t be here, I’m trying to celebrate my personal journey, too.”

During a video package, an emotional Van Der Beek revealed the devastating news that his wife had lost their sixth baby on the way.

“My wife Kimberly and I went through every expecting parent’s worst nightmare. We lost the baby,” he said. “The little soul that we had expected to welcome into our family took a shortcut to whatever lies beyond.”

“You never know why these things happen, that’s what I’ve been telling my kids,” he continued. “All you know is that it brings you closer together, it breaks you open, it opens your heart, it deepens your appreciation. It makes you more human.”

Although Van Der Beek admitted that he didn’t think he’d be dancing on Monday evening, he chose to compete for Kimberly, who pushed him to continue in the competition.

Speaking to reporters, Brooke reflected on the difficult elimination.

“You just don’t know what’s going to happen on this show. I danced my heart out and one by one they called different names and then it dwindled down to the bottom two, and unfortunately, I was in the bottom two and unfortunately James was as well,” she said. “In that moment I just felt so wrong to just stand there. I felt like I really needed to just stand up and give it to James.”

“I didn’t even want them to vote,” she continued. “I just wanted to give it to him. That’s what I was feeling in that moment ’cause I felt like it wasn’t right to move on and be here. … I just felt it wasn’t right after everything that James has gone through. Being human and seeing that he’s been through one of the worst things in life and … he had the strength to be here today and that in itself is unbelievable.”

“That took immense strength from him and I felt like in that moment it just wasn’t right,” she added. “He was there and I was there and I just felt like he deserved to be there after everything he went through.”

Still, Brooke said Van Der Beek continued to encourage her after they stepped off the stage.

“I didn’t feel like talking or celebrating, I just felt sad for James, especially with what he’s been through,” she said. “But everyone was encouraging me, even James himself. Like, the fact that he was encouraging me after everything he’s been through? That just shows the type of character he is and the spirit he has.”

“He’s just one of the most magnificent, unbelievable people I’ve ever met in my life,” she added.

Next week, the four remaining celebrities — Brooke, Lauren Alaina, Kel Mitchell and Hannah Brown — will compete with their pro partners during the live finale.

The Dancing with the Stars season 28 finale airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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