Ben Zini's new relationship with "Dancing with the Stars" mentor Yana Dubrovskaya was reported this week, but one of the people closest to him, reality personality and former ninja warrior Yogev Malka, said he had no idea it was happening.
Speaking on "Medabrim Al Kochavim" with host Maya Keiz, Malka said he learned about the romance only from the media. "I had no idea, he is my friend and I did not know about this relationship. It happened all at once, I knew nothing, I saw the reports and I was shocked," he said.
The connection between Zini and Malka goes back to the dance floor, where Zini performed with Julia Shahar, who is now married to Malka and first met him there. The article says the romance between Zini, 30, and Dubrovskaya, 31, became public this week, and that viewers and friends alike reacted positively to the pairing.
Shahar Taboch praised Dubrovskaya, whom he knows from a previous season of "Dancing with the Stars." "She is also my friend today, amazing and unlike anyone else. He is amazing too. I did not ask her about it, but I knew it was true," he said. Keiz added, "You can say anything about Ben, but he is a man among men." Dubrovskaya ended this week's run of the current season alongside Tom Aviv, after they were eliminated following their second dance. In earlier seasons, she also danced with actor Imri Biton, who was injured early in the season, and with model On Refaeli, who was eliminated midway through the competition.