Jenna Dewan will dance with Alan Bersten on Dancing With the Stars after Val Chmerkovskiy was benched. Us Weekly reports the pair will perform together during the October 20 live show.
For Jenna, 45, Dedication Night means honouring her mother, Nancy, with a Viennese waltz. Their routine will be set to The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody.
Val Chmerkovskiy has apologised to Carrie Ann Inaba over his now-deleted social media comments. BBC Studios confirmed he would not take part in the next episode.
Alan Bersten steps in as Jenna Dewan receives support
Alan, 32, had already left the competition after being eliminated alongside Giada de Laurentiis earlier in season 35.
Jenna also received warm words from fellow contestant Harry Shum Jr ahead of the performance. Writing on Instagram on Friday, October 16, Harry praised several competitors, including Jenna.
He wrote: “Reminder that this is a dance show. It is supposed to be joyous.”
He recalled her kindness when they met decades ago, as he was finding his feet in the industry. Harry also praised the way she handled criticism and committed herself to each week’s performance.
His professional partner, Jenna Johnson, added a heart emoji beneath the post.
Why Val Chmerkovskiy will miss Dedication Night
The dispute began after Carrie Ann criticised an illegal lift during Jenna Johnson’s samba with Harry on October 13. The pair were performing on Super Bowl Night.
Jenna Johnson and Carrie Ann later cleared the air. Val, who is married to Jenna Johnson, subsequently defended his wife on social media.
Us Weekly reported that his comments allegedly threatened to slap Carrie Ann. The post referenced Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
A BBC Studios spokesperson confirmed the decision to bench Val in a statement shared with Us Weekly.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.”
The spokesperson said his post did not meet the standards expected of those connected with the programme.
In his Saturday apology, Val said he had not intended the implication of the reference. He also shared a message ahead of Dedication Night:
“Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+ at 8pm ET.
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