Updated

Updated · Los Angeles Times · Oct 19

Jenna Dewan Teases Viennese Waltz With Alan Bersten as Val Chmerkovskiy Serves 1-Week DWTS Suspension

Updated

Updated · Los Angeles Times · Oct 19

Jenna Dewan Teases Viennese Waltz With Alan Bersten as Val Chmerkovskiy Serves 1-Week DWTS Suspension

Q: How will the controversial backstage drama impact the judges' scoring for Jenna and her temporary partner?

There is no evidence the backstage controversy will formally affect Jenna Dewan and Alan Bersten’s scores; judges are expected to score only the Viennese waltz they perform on Dedication Night. What is clear is that the fallout has already been handled through Val Chmerkovskiy’s one-week suspension. BBC Studios said his post was inappropriate, and Chmerkovskiy publicly apologized to Carrie Ann Inaba. That makes it less likely the panel would be expected to “punish” Dewan in scoring for something her regular partner did offstage, especially since producers have emphasized that Dewan has remained professional and respectful. The more realistic impact is indirect. A last-minute partner change can affect timing, chemistry and polish, and that can influence scores if the routine looks less settled than a number rehearsed for a full week with a regular partner. At the same time, Dewan enters the episode from a strong position after posting a 36 on Super Bowl Night, tied for the top of the leaderboard, and Bersten is an experienced pro capable of stabilizing the performance quickly. Inaba’s role will draw extra attention because she was at the center of the dispute, but any unusually harsh or soft scoring would likely be heavily scrutinized. Given the public scrutiny, the safest expectation is that the judges will try to appear even more objective than usual and focus on technique, frame, musicality and emotional delivery in Dewan’s dedication to her mother.

Q: What exactly did Val post about the judge that forced producers to issue a rare, immediate suspension?

Val Chmerkovskiy’s deleted post said, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” That line was widely understood as a reference to Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap of Chris Rock, when Smith shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth.” Chmerkovskiy later acknowledged that he had used the meme while reacting to judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s criticism of his wife, pro dancer Jenna Johnson, after Inaba called out an illegal lift in Johnson’s routine. In his apology, Chmerkovskiy said he was trying to defend his wife and made “a poor decision” to invoke the “keep my wife’s name” reference without thinking through its implications. Producers at BBC Studios called the post inappropriate and said it did not reflect the show’s standards, leading to his one-week suspension.

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Oct 19

Jenna Dewan said she and fill-in partner Alan Bersten will perform a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” on “Dancing With the Stars” Dedication Night, with Dewan dedicating the dance to her mother.
Alan Bersten stepped in after Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended for one week over a social media post that appeared to invoke Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap in response to judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s critique.
BBC Studios said Chmerkovskiy’s post was inappropriate and violated the show’s standards, adding that the well-being of everyone connected to “DWTS” is non-negotiable.
Chmerkovskiy later apologized, saying he reacted instinctively to defend his wife, Jenna Johnson, and had reached out to Inaba directly as well as publicly.