Brief
Jenna Dewan to dance with Alan Bersten after Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension
Dewan’s new partner will be Alan Bersten for the Oct. 20 ‘Dedication Night’ show, following Chmerkovskiy’s one‑week suspension.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Jenna Dewan is set to perform on October 20 with Dancing With the Stars professional Alan Bersten after her regular partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, was suspended for the show’s “Dedication Night” episode, Page Six reported.
The suspension stems from a social‑media post by Chmerkovskiy that referenced Will Smith’s Oscars incident and appeared to target judge Carrie Ann Inaba. He said the post was meant to defend his wife, fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson, but producers deemed it inappropriate. A statement from BBC Studios, cited by Deadline, said the well‑being of everyone on the show is “non‑negotiable.”
According to Us Weekly, Dewan will dance a Viennese waltz set to “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to her mother, Nancy. The routine will be performed with Alan Bersten, who was eliminated earlier in the season along with partner Giada de Laurentiis.
Chmerkovskiy issued his own statement to Page Six, acknowledging the suspension and explaining his “instinct” was to defend his wife after Inaba’s criticism of her and Harry Shum Jr.’s performance on a prior “Super Bowl Night.” He said he “made a poor decision to reference a meme” and expressed regret for any distraction caused to the show. He concluded by sending “love” to Inaba, Dewan and the DWTS family and said he would be watching the episode.
The show’s producers emphasized that the decision reflects the network’s standards and values, and that Chmerkovskiy will not appear on the upcoming episode but will remain a contestant after the suspension period.
Key facts
- Jenna Dewan will dance with Alan Bersten on Oct. 20 for DWTS ‘Dedication Night’ (nypost.com)
- Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended for one week after a controversial social‑media post (nypost.com)
- Dewan’s routine will be a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to her mother (nypost.com)
- BBC Studios issued a statement saying the well‑being of everyone on DWTS is non‑negotiable (nypost.com)
- Chmerkovskiy apologized, saying he intended to defend his wife Jenna Johnson (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Jenna Dewan’s new ‘Dancing With the Stars’ partner revealed in wake of Val Chmerkovskiy suspension”
