DWTS’ Jenna Dewan Reunites With Val Chmerkovskiy After His Suspension
After Dancing With the Stars professional Val Chmerkovskiy was given a one-week suspension for an inappropriate social media post, he returned to rehearsal with Jenna Dewan.
By Olivia Evans Oct 26, 2026 1:15 PM | Updated 2 minutes ago
Jenna Dewan, Alan Bersten Share Rehearsal Update After Val Chmerkovskiy’s DWTS Suspension
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy are finding a new groove.
After the Dancing With the Stars professional was given a one-week suspension for a social media comment directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba, the duo have returned to rehearsals.
“Hey everybody, here we are,” Dewan teased in an Oct. 25 Instagram Story. “We are here for Halloween Horror Night, we are doing an Argentine tango to the song “Uninvited” inspired by the movie 28 Weeks Later.”
For his part, Chmerkovskiy appeared happy to be back, cheerfully wiping sweat from his forehead as Dewan teased what’s to come for their upcoming Oct. 27 performance.
Chmerkovskiy’s return comes after he received a one-week suspension from DWTS after he alluded to Will Smith and Chris Rock’s infamous slap moment at the Oscars 2022 when addressing Inaba’s critique of his wife Jenna Johnson.
In a since-deleted TikTok comment, Chmerkovskiy wrote in reference to Inaba’s critique of Johnson and her partner Harry Shum Jr.’s dance, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
The 40-year-old—dad to one son with Johnson—later clarified he misspoke and did not intend for his comment to insinuate he wanted to slap Inaba.
“In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife's name’ out of the conversation,” Chmerkovskiy wrote in an Instagram Story Oct. 17, “without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention.”
Chmerkovskiy emphasized his guilt over letting not only Dewan, but Inaba down during an important week for DWTS.
“Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” he continued. “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in.”
Jenna Dewan/Instagram
Ultimately, Dewan hit the dance floor with pro Alan Bersten—who, along with his celebrity partner Giada De Laurentiis, was sent home earlier this season—to honor her mother Nancy Lee Bursch with a Viennese waltz routine to “Unchained Melody.” The pair earned 37 points out of a possible 40, and Chmerkovskiy expressed gratitude for Bersten’s ability to support Dewan at the last minute.
“Thank you for stepping in and doing such an amazing job,” Chmerkovskiy wrote in a comment under Bersten’s Oct. 20 Instagram post. “Jenna looks so good and most importantly happy.”
For a deeper look into the Dancing With the Stars season 35 competitors, keep reading…
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Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
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The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
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Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
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The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star was ready to learn some new moves, but his time on DWTS was cut short on Oct. 13.
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The Love Island U.K. alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
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